your heart on the line
by shadowinthedark13
Summary: "Maka Albarn's life could be summed up in a series of colourful and offensive words, at the current moment, screwed, would be perfect." Vampire AU, SxM. Multi-chaptered.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **your heart on the line

**Rating/Warnings: **M

**Word Count: **2,072

**Character(s): **Maka Albarn, Soul 'Eater' Evans, Giriko, Mosquito, Arachne.

**Pairing(s):** Eventual Soul/Maka

**Summary:** Maka Albarn's life could be summed up in a series of colourful and offensive words, at the current moment, _fucked,_ would be perfect.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Notes: **Just something I've been working on for a while. It's posted over on Grigoriwings as well, but I'm posting it on here, too. I know characters may seem OOC, or you may not understand what's happening in this chapter, but it _is_ an AU, and I'm sure you'll understand things better in the later chapters. It's rated M for swearing and some gore, but there'll eventually be some pornz. I'm not quite sure how many chapters I want this to have yet, but we'll see.

* * *

Maka Albarn's life could be summed up in a series of colourful and offensive words, at the current moment, _fucked,_ would be perfect.

She swipes at her upper lip with her hand, frowning when she realises she hadn't wiped the sweat away, but simply smeared it around more, making her skin feel greasier. With an aggravated exhale, she slams a grease-smeared fist down on the hood of her piece of shit car. Some sputters beneath it and somehow, her fucking radio kicks on.

"How can it be so _hot_?" She asks herself, slumping farther down on the car. It had been nearly unbearable when she'd been driving during the day, what with her broken air-conditioning and the hot air seeping in through her window as she drove. She had hoped desperately that it would cool down at least a little bit at night, since she'd most likely be sleeping in her car, but it hadn't, and then she heard something snap.

It didn't help that she was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a billion goddamn trees. And thinking back, she really should have invested in a cellphone. At least then she could call her… Well the only person she would even bother calling was at least a day and a half drive away and, unfortunately, her ex-boyfriend. And Hiro wasn't exactly at the top of her list. Technically, _he_ was the reason she took the job so far away—

_"Hey!"_

Maka turns sharply, heart pounding in her chest. She scans the area around her, stopping when she spots a man standing at the edge of the trees. He starts toward her, and Maka's heart picks up speed, palms getting sweaty, but not due to the heat.

The man walks briskly, and as he approaches, she notes that he is quite small, maybe reaching up to her shoulders. Upon further inspection, she realizes he's wearing a brisk suit and has a long, pointed nose. And he's speaking to her.

"—used to people getting lost around these parts, but it looks like you've got yourself some car troubles?"

Maka clears her throat and decides that if this man, as unassuming as he seems, tries anything, she can take him, "Yes, sir. Uh…I think something may have snapped."

He removes his hat and nods politely at her. "Well I'm no mechanic, but I _do_ have a phone back at the house, if you'd like to use it."

_House?_ She thinks, looking around once more. But nothing new pops into her line of sight. "Um…"

"I know what you must be thinking," the man holds out a bony hand, giving her a small smile, "'A strange man appearing from out of nowhere?' But my driveway is just beyond those trees over there and is often missed by passerby's, especially at night."

He nods to the trees he had stood before just a few minutes before, and Maka notices that the trees do in fact part. But something…something is telling her that this isn't a good idea. "I don't think—"

"Nonsense," the man says, hand still between them. "You'll come back to the house with me."

That sounds like a good idea, Maka thinks, rubbing at her eyes. She's so _tired_ from driving and…

She's following him, suddenly, into the thick trees by the road. Had she even locked her car? Or turned off the radio? Or…

"Just up ahead," the man says quietly, hat back on and hiding his face. The darkness surrounds them and it's almost suffocating. Maka trips a few times on roots and rocks, but she doesn't hear the man stumble, and can still see his white collar, walking smoothly along the path.

Maka wants to go back and lock herself in her car or find a gas station or _something,_ because this seems like a terrible idea. But no matter how much she wills herself to turn and stumble away, she can't. It's like something is pulling her forward. Even speaking feels wrong, and each time she opens her mouth to speak, she feels nauseated.

Lights up ahead burn Maka's vision, but after blinking a few times, she notices a large house. It's old and beautiful and Maka bets people would pay loads to live in it.

But when she looks down, the path is far too narrow for a car, and turning her head to look behind her, everything is swallowed up by darkness.

Now she _knows_ something is wrong. She can feel it in her chest, anxiety rising. Why would she agree to go with this man? Why didn't she just _stay put_ back home and ignore Hiro?

"Mosquito," a voice calls, bringing Maka's attention back to the present. There, standing on the wrap-around porch, is a lovely woman with pale skin that almost seems to glow in the darkness. She smiles at Maka, dark eyes glinting as she cocks her head. Maka hadn't realized how close they'd gotten to the house, but now Maka was close enough to touch this woman.

"Um…" Maka clears her throat, turning to look at the man that had brought her here, but finds that he is nowhere to be found. "Where—what…?" Something close to panic fills her, and Maka turns back to the woman, hoping she doesn't sound has panicked as before. "I just need to use your phone, please. T-that man, he said he would let me use the phone to call a mechanic."

"Silly girl," the woman laughs, leaning on the railing lining the porch. Maka senses movement around her, like she's being watched, and she bites back the terror that rises. "There aren't any mechanics open this late. Actually, if we're being honest here there aren't any mechanics _around_."

Maka knows that in a horror movie the girl (her) would fall back and scream or something equally stupid, and the killer (this woman, or maybe her husband) would laugh and leap at her with a hidden weapon. So Maka decides to do the next stupidest thing, and she runs.

She isn't exactly sure where she'd come from before, so she tears through an opening of trees, tripping over things she can't see and running into trees. Her cheeks become scrapped and her eyes burn from being hit or maybe it's from tears, but she ignores it all and runs faster, lungs protesting wildly.

But it's no use. Maka suspects she's just running deeper into the woods, and she knows for sure that she isn't alone. Although all she can hear is her harsh breathing, she feels eyes on her and can almost taste the bloodlust someone is feeling. Every hair on her body stands on end, and she just…just wants to go home.

_I promise,_ she thinks, stumbling into a tree and leaning over, clutching her knees and inhaling shakily, trying to quiet her breathing, _I promise I'll…go to church every weekend. And I'll-I'll visit papa's grave more and I'll call mama and I'll apologize to Hiro but please, just please let me get out of this fucking night alive, God, **please—**_

"Aw, you scared, honey?" Maka's spine stiffens, and she launches herself forward, trying to get away from the voice. Because it sounds younger than that man's and she's—the old man couldn't outrun her, she's sure of it, but this—maybe this guy _could—_

She hits the ground hard, head slamming against something sharp. Maka sees stars and bites her tongue at the pain in her head. "Fuck _off,"_ she snaps, pushing against the body holding hers down. "Get _off me!"_ She tries screaming, but it hurts. Everything _hurts—_

_"Shut your fucking mouth,"_ the voice snarls, and she can tell he's right above her, his sickly sweet breath filling her nostrils. "And get. _Up!"_

Rough hands grip her upper arms and tug her up faster than she can process. Her head is killing her and she just wants this night to be over. No, she wants _away_ from these freaks and _then_ for this night to be over. She tries spitting, but it doesn't go far enough. Instead, it dribbles down her chin and onto her collarbone. The man holding her laughs, shaking her as he does so, and she tries to kick him between his legs, but that doesn't work either.

Maka is shoved against a tree once more, neck snapping back, head hitting the trunk roughly. Something warm drips down her neck and her captor inhales sharply, letting out a loose laugh. "Try that again and I'll cut your throat."

She allows herself to be tugged through the trees once more, back in the direction of the house.

* * *

Maka isn't entirely sure how long they walk, but her legs ache and her head is pounding. "I—can we stop," she stutters, raising a hand to her forehead. "I feel like I'm gonna be sick."

"Oh fuck off with your excuses," the man tugs on her arm, and Maka lets out a cry at the pain that shoots up through her shoulder. "Now let's go, before Arachne bites my fuckin' head off."

Maka tries to plant her feet on the ground, but it doesn't work. She doesn't see his hand in the darkness, but she does feel the crack of his knuckles against her jaw. Blood fills her mouth and Maka gags, spitting it onto the ground, though more falls down her chin and onto her chest. Another sharp inhale and the man has his hand woven through her tangled hair, clutching it tightly. "Keep trying those dumb fucking moves. I'll kill you in a heartbeat—no. No I'll play with ya first. It'll be _fun."_

_"Gerrof," _she tries to speak, but her jaw hurts so badly and she just wants to go home, that's all she wants—

"Hey, fuckface."

She doesn't bother turning or acknowledging the other man behind them. No, she takes advantage of her captor's momentary distraction and shoves with all her strength. It doesn't get her far, but it does get her out of his grasp. He scrambles to catch her, but she lashes out, kicking at his hands and screaming. She doesn't hear the other man come up behind her, but she does feel him grab her and hoist her up, holding her back against his chest.

"Giriko, I know this might not really process in that small brain of yours, but when something or some_one_ is in my territory, they're mine." He grips her tighter when he speaks, but Maka has stopped paying attention to the men around her. Instead, her mind drifts off to the bed she left back in Florida and the warm sun on her skin. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Maka knows she's going to die. She knows that this is the end, and hopes that it'll happen quickly.

"—tell that to your fuckin' queen, and keep the fuck outta my territory, or next time I'll be taking your life instead of your toy."

"Eater, you think you're so fucking _high and mighty,_ but let me tell you—"

Giriko, Maka assumes this is his name, pauses when he realizes that it's not as dark in the woods as it was before. "_Fuck,"_ he snarls, running a hand through his hair, glaring at Maka and the other man—Eater, she thinks, but that sounds really stupid and wow, her head hurts…

"Arachne ain't gonna be happy about this," he snaps, already backing away from them. Maka feels a small bit of relief at this prospect. But she _does_ wonder why he didn't put up more of a fight.

The both of them watch as he slips into the trees once more, and Maka lets out something like a sob.

"C'mon, let's get outta here before the sun rises," Eater says into her ear, and Maka turns her head slightly, his nose grazing her temple. She's so tired and everything hurts and she just needs to know that he won't hurt her, that she'll be safe with him, because he can't have saved her from that asshole only to have bad intentions, right?

Her green eyes meet dark, burgundy ones, and she offers a smile, though she's sure it looks like a grimace. He looks angry, calculating and almost cold, but there is something familiar and warm about those eyes.

Maka loses consciousness, but before she does, she watches him raise his wrist to his mouth and bite down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** your heart on the line

**Rating/Warnings: **M

**Word Count: **3,050

**Character(s):** Maka Albarn, Soul 'Eater' Evans, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Death the Kid, Liz Thompson

**Pairing(s):** Eventual Maka/Soul

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Notes: **Alright, chapter two! It's longer than the last one but not by much. Hopefully the next ones will be _much_ longer. Some things are explained here, but if you still don't get it, be patient!

* * *

Tsubaki had been waiting by the door when Soul rounded the corner of the drive way with the girl in his arms. The sun was already rising above the trees, casting shadows across the ground, and Soul seemed to be struggling a bit, but it might have been the sharp, pleasant smell of her blood that was bothering him, and not the feeling of sunlight against his back.

It had been quite a long time since they'd had a human in the house, Tsubaki thinks, holding the door open wider for Soul, allowing him entrance into the house. He steps past her with a nod, angling the girl so she doesn't bump against the doorway. "Tsubaki, did you do as I asked?"

"Yes, sir," she answers immediately, following at his heels. "I've replaced the sheets and found the key—Liz had it—and everyone is gone to sleep."

"Wonderful." He turns sharply, down a long hallway, speaking as he goes, "Giriko had her when I got there."

"Does that surprise you?"

"No," he snaps, looking at her over his shoulder, but Tsubaki doesn't cower at his glare anymore. "But I didn't realize he was back yet. I figured Mosquito would be the one to go after her. But I suppose it doesn't matter. Hurry, open the door before she wakes up."

Tsubaki does as she's told, stepping in front of him to open the door. She walks through first, pulling the drapes shut tightly and flicking the light on. "Was she hurt?"

The dark-haired woman watches as her master looks down at the girl—_woman?_ Tsubaki wonders—in his arms. She has blood matted in the back of her head. Even though most of the blood on her body is dried, it still twists her stomach in that familiar way.

"I gave her my blood."

She bites her tongue at this, knowing that speaking against that would not end well. Instead, Tsubaki pulls the blankets on the bed back so Soul can tuck her in. "Soul, did why you go after her? I know she was in our territory, but—"

"You don't need to worry about that," he says, flicking the duvet over the girl's small form. "Not now, at least."

"Right," Tsubaki nods and bows. "Well, I'll be heading to my room now."

"Thank you, Tsubaki," she hears him say as she leaves the room, "for your help tonight."

* * *

When she wakes up, Maka finds herself feeling better than she has in a long time. Except for the fogginess in her head, she feels spectacular. _Maybe it had all been a dream,_ she thinks, but keeps her eyes closed, because a larger part of her knows she isn't lying in a motel bedroom. The smell of the room is a strange mix between sweet and musty, like it hasn't been used in years, but someone had sprayed their perfume around to make it smell better.

Maka opens her eyes, and feels dread settle in the pit of her stomach. This isn't a motel, or her bedroom back home, or even the bedroom in her new apartment. No, this is strange and foreign and…dammit. Tears burn at the back of her eyes, but Maka grits her teeth and stands from the bed, surveying the room. She's ninety-nine percent sure that she's alone in the room, but she makes sure; checking under the bed, in the closet, and even behind the drapes. Nobody is there.

Her next thought is to get the hell outta there, and after jiggling the doorknob a few times and kicking it, she goes to the window.

It's daylight outside, the sun out of view, but a look at her watch says that it's around 4:30 p.m. which means she's been sleeping all day. This doesn't settle well with her. Why would they let her sleep? Or—or the man, did he even bring her here? The one named Eater, was he nice?

_You're locked in a bedroom,_ her mind supplies helpfully; _I doubt he's very nice._

_He saved me from that Giriko creep._

**_You're locked in a room._**

Maka sighs and rubs at her temples for a few moments before deciding that talking to herself isn't helping anyone. After a few deep breaths, she tosses the drapes aside, allowing more sunlight to filter into the room. Maka relishes in the heat that spreads through her body, and instantly feels better.

That feeling sinks however when she notices that the window doesn't open.

Maka spends the next ten minutes looking for a way out but the washroom had been a dead end, too. After realizing this, Maka had taken the time to wash the blood from her face and chest, not dwelling too long on the fact that all of her injuries were gone. Her mind was swimming with too many things, and adding that to the mix would not help. And for the next three hours, Maka laid on the bed with her eyes shut, too exhausted to cry, and too scared to try and break the window. Besides, she looked to be on the third floor of the house, so how could she possibly get down without hurting herself? And breaking down the door, though she could do it easily enough with all the chairs in the room, was not the best idea either. She had no idea how many people were in the house, or what kind of _people_ (though they couldn't be good people) lived here. Three times she heard sounds of footsteps outside her door, and the occasional laugh, but she didn't say anything or move from her position on the bed.

There were a few books littering the room, but they were old and in a different language, so Maka couldn't decipher them. But she kept them close; knowing that if worse came to worse she could chop her captor.

And then she is left alone with her thoughts. She wonders if anyone has reported her missing, or found her car on the side of the road. Maka wonders if Hiro misses her, because even though he may not have been the best boyfriend, he was always there when she needed to study and he brought her food and made her eat when she was too caught up in a book. _I hope he's not worried,_ she thinks, biting her lip and pulling it between her teeth. But then she decides she doesn't care if he's worried or missing her, because if he was really cared about her he wouldn't have bedded one of her closest friends and then _lied_ about it afterward.

She's so caught up in her thoughts that she doesn't hear the footsteps outside her bedroom. But she does hear the door opening, the loudly squeaking hinges drawing her attention to the door and the figure standing in it. A tall man with three horizontal stripes on the left side of his head stands there, mouth drawn in a tight line. He looks thin and not very strong, so Maka wonders if maybe she could take him. She probably could.

"Come with me," He says in a monotone, strange golden eyes never leaving hers. "Please," he adds as an afterthought.

Maka pulls one of the books closer to her and stands from the bed on shaky legs. She tightens her fingers around the book, hoping he can't see the fear she's feeling. But he must, because he lowers his eyes and his lips twitch up. "You're bringing a book?"

"Yes," Maka snaps, holding it to her chest protectively. _He won't take it, will he?_

"I didn't know you read Greek." He takes a step toward her, and Maka decides now is as perfect a time as any.

She shakes her head and raises the book, slamming it down over his skull before he can blink. "I don't."

Maka doesn't bother waiting to see if he drops. She races from the room and tears down a hallway, trying to keep her footsteps and breathing light. She won't get anywhere if she's stomping around.

Somewhere behind her, somebody laughs, but Maka doesn't pause to see who it was or where it came from. Desperation pumps through her veins and she _needs_ to find a door, get out into the open. Scream, call for help, _something._

Something warm hits her, and Maka tumbles to the side, only to be held up by a pair of strong hands. They shove her against a wall, and behind the man holding her, Maka can see a door.

Desperation wins and she lashes out, trying to kick his knees, kick him in the groin, but he's pressing up against her and she can't _do_ anything but thrash and scream.

"Soul, shut her _up,"_ a tall blonde woman appears in Maka's line of sight with a glass held in her hand. "This is not what I'd like to wake up to." The liquid in her glass is a dark red colour, much like the eyes of the man holding her.

A calloused hand clutches her jaw, bringing her face around to meet Eater's. He's grinning at her, but it's not a nice grin, and she knows that she won't reach that door, and even if she did, she'd never make it to a road. When he leans forward, Maka catches the scent of boy and deodorant and something almost exotic, but his leer and dark eyes catch her attention. His teeth are sharpened into points, and his eyes really are the colour of blood. Some of his white hair tickles her forehead. She tries to lean away, but his grip on her jaw is firm.

"Now listen," his voice is smooth and almost beautiful, and Maka has to listen, though she isn't sure why. "I'm going to let you go, and yes, you can run out that door, but if you do, you might not like what comes next. But if you come with _me,"_ he puts emphasis on this, leaning down so his nose brushes hers, "I can make sure that doesn't happen. Sound like a plan?"

Maka doesn't answer, but she does relax in his grip, hoping that it tells him enough. She doesn't trust her voice right now.

More people had crowded around them during the time he spoke to her. At least six, maybe more, but she doesn't have time to dwell on it, because Eater's hand is on the small of her back and he's leading her through large double doors.

The white haired man says something under his breath but Maka doesn't catch it.

* * *

She's shoved into a large room with multiple couches and a large fireplace. There is a small fire burning and it casts eerie shadows across the room until Eater turns on a light.

A large chandelier glows above them, and Maka marvels in its beauty. It looks like something she's read about in a book, and far too incredible to be owned by a murderer. Behind her, he clears his throat, and Maka turns to see him sitting down in an arm chair, stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankles.

Maka is still scared, but the feeling has lessened slightly now that she and Eater are alone. She's not sure why, but she has a feeling that he won't hurt her.

"I," Maka pauses as his eyes roam up and down her body. She feels almost embarrassed because she _knows_ she doesn't look very good. In fact, she probably looks homeless. "I want to go home." She gives him her fiercest glare, hoping it does _something,_ because as of now, Maka isn't sure what to do. Screaming didn't help, and neither did trying to run away. So maybe…maybe she should just _ask?_

The plan backfires when Eater lets out a loud scoff, a smirk crawling up his face. Maka wants to punch him in that mouth of his. Eater leans forward in his chair, not taking his gaze off her. "Do you know where you are? Or who _we_ are? Or maybe what would happen if you left our territory? No, I don't think you do."

Maka bristles at his tone and heat floods her face and chest. "Ex_cuse me?_ I don't know anything because I've been _dragged through the woods,_ beat up, and locked in-in a _bedroom_ all day! Of course I don't _know anything!"_

She's yelling now, face red and hands clenched into fists at her sides. "If you're going to kill me, then fucking do it! Stop messing around—"

"Kill you?"

"—oh, and another thing? If you're going to shove me in a room for all hours of the day, give me something to fucking _read_ that isn't in Greek!"

She barely has a chance to catch her breath before he's standing in front of her, hand tight around her throat. "You _do_ complain a lot, don't you? And I'd watch what you say to the person who saved your life last night."

Maka blinks up at him, mouth parted, "How did my wounds disappear?"

His jaw clenches, and his grip on her throat tightens a bit more, but Maka stands still. _Why aren't I scared? _She wonders, because those eyes would scare any _normal_ person, and those teeth would definitely make them shit.

"I gave you my blood."

Maka chokes, hands flying up to clutch at his hand around her throat. She tears at his skin with her fingernails until he pulls back, eyebrow raised. "What did you fucking do? You _gave me your blood?"_

Eater tries grabbing at her, but she slaps his hand away, walking backward until her back hits the wall. "You're a freak, okay? God, what if—what if you have some weird _disease_ or something!"

His cool façade cracks and he's in front of her once more, only this time he's whispering dangerously low, hand over her mouth. "_Let. Me. Explain."_

She doesn't try to fight back, but tears drip down her face and onto his hand.

"My blood isn't diseased, you moron," he hisses, almost too close to her. But she doesn't dare move. "Do you want to know why you were locked away all _day?_ Or how I found you and that idiot Giriko last night?" Here, he grins, and it sends a shiver up Maka's spine, but she doesn't know if it's from fear or something else. "It's because we're vampires, sweetie. You don't have your injuries anymore because my blood healed them, and I got you away from Giriko because he was on _my _territory."

"You-you mean that you're dead?" Maka wants to laugh, but something about his expression tells her that he's telling the truth. He nods, running a tongue over sharp teeth.

"So you're going to kill me?"

At this, Eater looks a little surprised. But it's quickly overshadowed by his smirk. "No, no. I won't kill you. We don't kill humans here."

"Then why won't you let me go home?" Her voice cracks and her shoulders droop. The tears come harder and faster now.

"Because you smell so good, kid. And if I could smell you out there from in _here,_ then you can be damn sure Giriko and his friends will smell you too."

Maka slumps back against the wall, pressing the heel of her hand against her eyes. "This cannot be happening. I'm insane. I'm so insane, oh my _god."_

She feels him touch her chin and lift it up slowly, and he's so gentle that Maka wants to believe this is just a joke or a prank. Ha-ha, gotcha! Something that Hiro set up. But his eyes are serious and maybe a little sad when hers meet his.

"Sorry about all this, kid."

"Maka," she hears herself say quietly. "My name is Maka."

* * *

Soul doesn't know how long he sits by the fire after Maka is escorted to her room by Tsubaki. The clock above the mantle had long since broken and was forever stuck on the time 3:15 a.m.

The soft sound of footsteps assault Soul's ears, and he turns carefully, watching as Kid enters the room, holding two glasses of blood. The smell hits Soul's nose and a hunger build in his stomach. He hadn't eaten yet today with all the commotion. "Did Tsubaki make our guest something to eat?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure she's actually eaten it. She seems very wary of us. Scared, even." Kid hands him a glass, and Soul takes a long sip.

He sighs, letting his head rest against the back of his chair. "Well, nothing we can do about it, right? She'll just have to get used to things." He watches the flames dance around for a few moments, before turning back to Kid.

"I assume the reason you came in here was to scold me, correct?"

Kid sits heavily, holding his glass with one hand, while his other runs through his hair. "I vaguely recall you telling all of us that you don't allow human…_pets_ in this house."

"She's not a pet. She's a grigori, and you know that she'd be dead meat if she were wondering around in these parts."

"So? She's a human, Soul," Kid snaps, looking at his friend. "We made a decision together that no _humans_ would be under this roof, and yes, she may be a grigori, but what happens when someone finds out we've got her?"

"Then I'll worry about it when the time comes. But until then, I don't want _anyone_ touching her."

Soul feels Kid's eyes on him, but he ignores him and takes another swig of his drink.

"What makes her so special, Soul?"

"She's the first grigori we've seen in years—"

"No," Kid snaps, and Soul turns to glower at him, only to be met with Kid's own. "No, there is something you're not telling me. I've known you for years, my friend, but this is rash. It's unlike you. The Soul Eater I know would never risk the house hold for anyone."

When Soul doesn't answer him, Kid sighs and stands, swallowing the rest of the blood. His hand clasps Soul's shoulder, "I just hope you know what you're doing, Soul."

_So do I,_ he thinks, watching as the flickering flames dwindle.

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **your heart on the line

**Rating/Warnings: **M for swearing, gore, and smut.

**Word Count: **4,436

**Character(s):** Maka Albarn, Soul 'Eater' Evans, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Mosquito, Arachne, Liz and Patti Thompson, Death the Kid, Ox, Harvar, Kim, and Jackie

**Pairing(s):** Eventual Soul/Maka

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Notes: **Chapter three has arrived! I added some smut in here, but matched it with some angst, aha. Sorry guys!

* * *

"I'm not _hungry,"_ Maka glares up at the man she'd chopped a few days earlier. His own golden eyes glare down at her, but Maka has long since stopped caring. She pushes the plate he'd put in front of her away, ignoring the growling in her stomach. _Not cool stomach. Not cool._

"You're obviously hungry," the Asian woman who had introduced herself as Tsubaki steps away from the stove, her hands clasped in front of her. "And it's not healthy to starve yourself. Though I understand that some females and males starve themselves to lose weight…I think it's a tad strange, but are you one of those people? You really should eat."

"Keeping someone here against their will is also unhealthy." Maka supplies unhappily, glaring at the plate. The food really _does_ look good, and most of the people in the house seem to love Tsubaki's cooking, but Maka doesn't want to give them the satisfaction.

"Well, um." Tsubaki looks to Kid, eyes darting between her food and the other vampire. "If you don't like that, I can make you _anything."_

"Don't baby her, Tsubaki," Kid says calmly, taking the plate from the table and moving toward the garbage. Maka's stomach growls loudly, and Tsubaki's eyes dart to it. She gnaws her lips between her teeth.

The garbage opens, and Kid gives Maka one last look, eyes narrowing at her. She still can't get over how…how beautiful everyone's eyes are. Maka wonders if it's a vampire thing. "Last chance, Maka. And I bet you'll be hungry later."

She really is hungry. She'd only eaten after her encounter with Eater in the room with the fireplace (Tsubaki calls it the living room, and it sits wrong with Maka) and that was because one of them…made her. She doesn't know how he did it, but Kid had grabbed her by her chin and forced her eyes to his and _spoken_ to her, and the words had sounded so alluring that she couldn't help but pick up the fork. And the food had been pretty damn good.

"Fine," she mutters, sitting up in the chair. The sleeves of the shirt that one of the other vampires had lent her slip down to her elbows. _If they'd let me get my things from my car, I'd be wearing things that fit._

Kid nods at her, putting the plate down in front of her once more. She doesn't waste time picking up the fork.

They don't leave her alone while she eats, but it's not like she'd expected anything different. She was rarely alone anymore unless she was in that room they'd put her in in the beginning. But it was never Eater that accompanied her throughout the house. To be perfectly honest, she hadn't _seen_ Eater around at all, except for a few passing glances as she turned a corner or closed a door. It's strange and annoying that he would be avoiding her, but Tsubaki assures her that 'Master' has many things to take care of, what with being head of the house.

She really doesn't understand these fucking people.

Maka is almost finished eating when the two girls Liz and Patti walk into the kitchen. They're both grinning at _her_ strangely enough.

"Elizabeth, Patricia," Kid says sternly, and they both spare him a look before turning back to Tsubaki.

"Master said we could take her up to our room and get her ready."

"Already?" Kid and Tsubaki ask together, and Maka's heart starts a little race in her chest. _Ready for what?_ Whatever it is, it can't be good—

Liz wrinkles her nose at them, and Patti lets out a loud laugh, answering for their sister, "Well we gots to make sure to get that yummy human smell off 'er!"

Consider her officially confused. _Human smell?_ Hadn't Eater mentioned that she smelled good? Maybe it was getting to them and they were feeling hungry. She had only seen them drink blood a few times, but they mostly tried to keep it away from her, since it made her a little queasy. Or at least, she _thought_ they were keeping it from her. Maybe they were running low on blood bags and felt like she was a threat—

"Yup, yup! I got a real cute shirt—well dress on her, 'cuz she's kinda short, ain't she?—that'll look _so_ cute on her! And Master said we could do whatever we like; just make sure she's ready by nine."

"It's 7:30," Kid says, sounding a little worried. "Will you have enough time?"

Maka takes one last bite of food and clears her throat. The vampires turn to look at her, and she raises her hand. "Hi, human here? What are you getting me ready for? I hope this meal wasn't to like—fatten me up," she adds a laugh here, but _oh god what if it was?_

Liz laughs, too, and Patti leans forward on a chair opposite of Maka. "You silly billy! We're going to a party!"

_A…party._ Not what she was expecting, she'll admit, but maybe this will be her chance to escape. If she could get away from one of them long enough, she could sneak out and find a road, maybe even a phone.

Hope swirls inside her, and Maka smirks. "Well let's go."

* * *

"A lot of make-up," Patti instructs, digging through her closet. Liz nods and takes another sip of what Maka assumes is blood out of her glass. She purses her lips at Maka, eyes narrowing.

"She'd look a lot prettier without," Liz calls, but grabs for the eye shadow anyway. Maka swallows at the thought of the make-up on her face. Even growing up she hadn't worn it, and now they were going to cake her face in it.

"We've got to, sis. Soul said so!"

"Who is Soul? You've said his name a few times. Is that Eater?"

Liz doesn't pause her movements, even pressing a bit harder on her eyelid. Maka's eyes are closed, so she doesn't see the look that crosses her face, but she wonders if she wasn't supposed to know his real name—or fake, since _Soul_ sounds ridiculous. Liz exhales, and her breath smells sweet.

"That's Master, yes. We're not supposed to be calling him that, but we usually do. Tsubaki and some of the others are the only ones who actually call him Master behind closed doors. But if we're in public, like we will be tonight, we've got to show our respect to our house leader. So get used to calling him Master."

"What? Why? I'm not a vampire." Never in a million years would Maka have imagined those words coming from her mouth. Liz lets out an exasperated sigh, and Maka is happy she can't see her own face because she's sure it's red.

"Well of course you're not a vampire, but if they see a human talking to Soul like he's just one of the guys, they'll lose their respect for him, and that could end up real bad."

Despite being held captive, she isn't sure if she wants anything _bad_ to happen to Eater—Soul, she corrects herself. "Well maybe I can manage that Master business for a night."

The next few hours are spent on her hair and the rest of her makeup, and it's only fifteen minutes before they're supposed to meet with the others in the main foyer that Liz and Patti decide on an outfit, which looks incredible indecent when off, and even more so when on. But she _does_ look pretty, Maka thinks, staring at her reflection in the mirror. And not a surprise, Liz and Patti have reflections as well.

The dress is short. So short that if she bent over she'd flash everyone her green panties. But it's _cute,_ and it fits, accentuating curves she hadn't known she had. Her chest even looks decent in this, the low neckline showing some cleavage.

"It's…really cute." Maka touches the fabric at her waist, smiling slightly. Liz laughs triumphantly and her sister throws a fist in the air.

* * *

Soul had hardly given her a second glance when she'd first walked in the room. He simply nodded to her two female companions and turned to the rest of the house. Four other vampires that she knows are named Ox, Kim, Jackie and Harvar, are standing by the door, obviously waiting for them.

"The human stays with me tonight, no questions asked," he announces with a dangerous tone to his voice. Maka shivers slightly, but not from fear. "Don't do anything stupid tonight, and be careful of your surroundings. The human and I will drive together: the rest of you find your own rides."

Liz mumbles something about Soul and a stick up his ass, but Maka ignores her in favor of glaring at Soul. "I don't need a babysitter."

"I think you do," he grins at her while the other vampires leave the house. She moves to follow Liz and Patti but Soul grabs for her arm. Maka grits her teeth and turns to glare at him, only to be startled by his red eyes in front of hers.

For a moment, the two stare at each other. Maka sees life and sadness and something else in his eyes, and she wonders how someone who is supposedly dead can have such expressive, beautiful eyes. It amazes her, really. His warm breath brushes across her upper lip, and a look of confusion crosses over his face before it's replaced with something else. Something deadlier.

"I want you to wear this," he murmurs, digging into his pocket and producing a piece of cloth. Inside, a silver chain and ring gleam up at her. "If anyone tries anything with you tonight and you feel like you're in danger or you can't find anyone who can help you, punch them with this. It should distract them long enough for you to find someplace safe to hide.

She considers punching _him_ with the ring, but decides against it. That wouldn't do her any good.

They begin walking, Maka slipping the ring over her head. "So why are you babysitting me tonight? And why the get-up?"

"Mine or yours?" He asks, giving her a quick once over. He turns to lock the door behind them, and Maka takes a moment to look him over, too. His black dress slacks fit like a glove, and the crimson button up he's wearing accentuates his eyes and hair.

"Mine."

He takes a few minutes to answer, and they spend the time in comfortable silence. The air is chilly; much different from the other night. She trembles at the thought of Giriko's slimy grin and too-warm hands. Her companion glances at her, but she ignores him.

They stop in front of a sleek black Camaro, and Soul opens the door for her. She thanks him and gets in, eyes surveying the car. She hasn't been in a car like this in…well ever. It's kind of a magical experience, the inner nerd in her cheers. Maka almost doesn't notice Soul get in the car because she's too busy trying to find a good station on the radio.

Soul flicks her fingers away from the stereo, glaring at her. "You don't get to touch the radio."

"Jerk," Maka sinks lower in the seat, gazing out the window as he begins to drive.

The two lapse into silence. Maka isn't sure how she feels about it. At some points it is comfortable silence; the kind you fall asleep to, but at other times, it's like he's trying to speak but can't get the words out.

Finally, after ten minutes of driving, he speaks. "Tonight Giriko will likely be there. I want you to stay by my side and _do not_ drink anything anyone gives you. If by any chance you and I are separated, find the closest person you know."

Maka bites her cheek at the thought of seeing Giriko again. _No worries there,_ she thinks, shooting him a glance in her peripheral vision. He looks calm and cool, like he just…_belongs,_ and it's so different to what she's used to. "Can I ask a question?"

He sighs, head lolling back to glare at her. "If you must."

"Why can't I drink anything?"

This time he is the one to sink into his seat. "Vampire blood, which is most likely what someone will try and feed you, whether it's through a drink or by force, is like a drug. It makes you high and vulnerable to compulsion. Too much might kill you."

"Oh." _I gave you my blood,_ he'd said a few days earlier. She wonders _why_ he did it if it's a drug. _Probably because he's a creep! _Her mind yells at her, but Maka ignores it.

"That's also the reason you're dressed up like that. Hopefully anyone interested in your blood will think you belong to me or whoever you're with at the time. It would have been better if you had a bite mark because that would _prove_ you belong to someone, but I don't think you're up for that."

But maybe she _is. _She clenches her fists in her lap, watching as Soul weaves through side streets and hidden roads. "Would it hurt?"

"Hmm?"

"If you bit me. Would it hurt? Would you be able to stop?"

The car stops for a split second before continuing on. When she gathers her bearings once more, she turns to look at him, shocked by the…_anger_ on his face. He looks furious, _beyond_ furious, and Maka isn`t sure how she managed to ruin the mood.

"_Of course I can stop,"_ he snaps at her, knuckles turning white as his grip on the wheel tightens. "I'm not a newborn; I have control over my intake. And why would—aren't you _terrified_ of me? Of _vampires?_ Why would you want that, you moron!"

Maka grits her teeth and turns away from him, face burning. "I'm not afraid of you, and _yes_ I'm…I don't _like_ vampires much, especially ones like Giriko, and if I can prevent my death by letting you bite me, well I'm not about to say no."

The only sound in the car is her breathing and the sound of the road outside. Then Soul is pulling the car over to the side of the road and turning it off.

"Biting is a very intimate thing." He doesn't sound angry anymore, just defeated. Maka's heart lurches when he looks at her, and she swallows thickly. This could be a potentially dangerous thing she's—_they—_are about to do, but…but Maka trusts him and even if she doesn't know why, she always goes with her gut instincts.

"You already gave me your blood," she murmurs, pulling her curled hair away from her neck. She stares out the windshield, hoping she doesn't look like an idiot. "It's only fair that you get some of mine, right?"

"I don't drink from humans," his voice sounds strained, and Maka risks a glance in his direction. He's staring at her, but it's almost like he isn't. Like he's seeing through her; seeing her soul. It's incredibly unnerving.

"Soul." His head snaps up, and his eyes narrow at her. But he still isn't angry, and Maka takes this as a reason to move forward. "Just do it, alright? I don't want to take any chances tonight."

"You stupid human—"

"Please." She swallows down a lump in her throat. Maka isn't exactly sure why she's getting so goddamn emotional, or why in the world she wants him to bite her. But she does, and she can't take it back now.

Soul doesn't say anything, but he does lean forward, unbuckling her seatbelt for her and moving her so she's in a better position. One hand cradles her neck, while the other rests just below her breasts. When she leans forward into his touch, her stomach flutters.

"You'll feel a pinch." His voice is in her ear, breath making her skin flush pink. She doesn't speak; too afraid to hear her voice.

And then he's biting down and it feels like a bee sting for the first few seconds, causing her to flinch. After the initial pinch, it feels—feels good…

Maka rests her hand atop the one holding her stomach, and she leans into the lips and teeth sucking at her neck.

It's over almost instantly. Soul is pulling back before Maka has a chance to understand. Something wet and warm drips down her neck, and Maka watches with half-lidded eyes as he wipes the blood away from her neck and collarbone with his fingers, putting them to his mouth and sucking.

"There," he says, voice barely heard above her breathing. "Now you look the part."

* * *

"So Eater," Arachne leans forward in her chair, uncrossing her long, nylon-covered legs. "Giriko tells me you stole our grigori."

He grits his teeth, but quickly stops when he realizes that she could probably hear them grinding against one another. "Yes. She _was_ on our territory. Or at least she passed over it while she tried to run away from your friend. I'm surprised he didn't realize what he was doing."

"Yes well," Arachne takes a long sip of her champagne, blinking up at him through thick lashes. "Giriko can get a little…excited, I suppose."

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," Soul mutters, tipping back his whiskey. He really wishes there was blood to put in it, but the only blood here was walking and talking. He really hated vampires who kept human pets. _That sounds a little hypocritical,_ his mind laughs, the demon in there clucking his tongue at Soul. _Aren't you pretending you have one?_

Said human is nowhere to be seen. He'd had to leave her when Arachne had requested his presence, and he really hopes that she found someone reliable to stay with.

"Now, my boy," Arachne kicks a chair out, permitting Soul to take a seat. He does so, rolling his eyes inwardly. This had better not be her asking him to give her Tsubaki like the last several times were. Soul knew that Tsubaki was a good fighter and an even more loyal friend, but he would never give her up to Arachne. He knows the problems she struggles with, and if Arachne allowed her to feed off living humans, she probably wouldn't be Tsubaki again.

"About the grigori."

Soul's stomach lurches. He'd thought their little talk about Maka was done with, but apparently not. "What about her? She's mine and not for sale."

"Really?" The woman grins, showing pointed canine teeth. "Who said anything about buying her? Finders keepers and all that fun stuff, right?"

He thinks he hears someone yell his name; a loud, feminine voice, but he chalks it up to his mind playing tricks on him and focuses on the vampire before him. "That's funny, really, but no. The human is _mine._ I've given her my blood, and she's given me hers in return. We're bound."

"Bonds can easily be broken. You should know this, boy." Her smile turns wicked and toxic, and Soul hears the voice again, quieter this time. That _can't_ be his imagination.

"I'll tell Lord Death."

Arachne laughs at this, holding a hand to her breasts. "That retched man doesn't scare me in the slightest, and besides, what good could he do? Kill me? That won't stop mine from killing what's yours."

Behind him, the sound of the bass and the laughter and voices of other vampires drown out the voice, but he knows he's not imagining it.

* * *

The girls flitting around the room with their chests exposed and their blood staining their skin attract her and they shouldn't. She shouldn't want this.

She spots the host, a man named Ted, dancing with one of the humans. And somewhere, someone calls Tsubaki's name.

* * *

"Can you hear her?"

Soul turns to look at her, eyes narrowed. He hears her laughter even as he's racing out the door, past other, younger vampires and past his friends. Both Kid and Ox look up as he passes, but Soul doesn't have time to stop and talk to them because she's getting louder, and so is the voice with her.

Outside it is freezing, the temperature having gone down drastically. Soul listens frantically for the voice, for the heart beat he's supposed to hear, because _she can't be dead. Not again—_

"_Soul…"_

The voice is slurred, and the smell of blood is in the air, but not hers.

"Hey," Soul murmurs, coming up behind her a few seconds later. She startles, dropping the plethora of sticks in her hand. He notices the familiar gleam of the ring he'd given her, and at her feet, he spots Mosquito.

The man's face is clawed and flesh is torn away in large chunks, no doubt from the silver chain and necklace. And in his stomach is a particularly large stick.

Maka grins, eyelids drooping as she stumbles forward. The dress she's wearing is ripped, showing the side of green panties and soft, creamy skin through tears in the torso. But she's safe and not bleeding and Soul cannot believe she—

She's fucking drunk.

The blonde starts toward him, trips, and begins again, pulling off her shoes as she goes._ "Soul, Soul, Soul~"_

He catches her by her forearms, glaring into those bright green eyes. It's not alcohol on her breath, either. It's blood. "We've gotta go, kid," he mutters, casting a final glance at Mosquito, who seems done in for the night, or at least until someone comes to pull the make-shift stake from his stomach. She's too warm, and where she touches him it feels like he's erupted in flames.

Maka hangs off of him, and though she hardly weighs anything, it's still annoying. "Soullll~"

"Don't call me that," he snaps, angry at himself and at her and at Arachne. "Let's go get everyone before World War III breaks out, kid."

She grumbles against his neck, and his anger grows.

* * *

The car ride back to the manor is long and silent. Soul checks his rear view mirror every few minutes to make sure they're not being tailed, and he speeds along the roads, twisting and turning dangerously. "You're a stupid fucking moron."

"Too fast," Maka squeezes her eyes shut and presses her forehead to her knees. Her dirty feet are ruining his upholstery, but Soul can't find it in himself to get angry about something else.

"Well if you hadn't had that vampire blood _like I fucking told you_ we wouldn't have a problem, or a _clan of vampires after us."_

She's still fucking drunk and Soul is so fucking annoyed that he could seriously leave her on the side of the road for some other vampire to pick up. It's not even one in the morning yet, and they're on their way home. Lovely—

"Why don'tcha call me by my name, Soul?"

He ignores the use of his name and presses down on the gas until it's nearly touching the floor. "What?"

"You say kid and human butcha don't say Maka. My name is Maaaaa-kaaaaaaa." Her eyes cross at the pronunciation of her name, and Soul rolls his eyes.

"I don't like your name." That's a lie. He really does like her name. It sounds foreign and unique. Like Soul. Maka and Soul—

_Fuck me._

* * *

It's nearly four in the morning by the time the blood wears off. Maka moans, pressing her hands to her eyes, wishing the pounding in her head would fuck off.

She's slightly uncomfortable, but only enough to make her back hurt. Maka opens her eyes and finds herself on a couch in the living room. The blonde looks around and holds the blanket that was draped over her tighter around her body. She's freezing with the tiny dress on, but she figures it has more to do with the after effects of the blood than the actual temperature.

When she sits up, she hears movement, and when she turns, she sees Soul.

"H-hi," she murmurs, watching him stare into the fire. He's got a bag in his hand filled with blood. It makes her queasy.

"If I could…" Soul pauses and grits his teeth, casting a sharp glance in her direction. His eyes are unnaturally bright and a there is blood on his lip. "If I could just let you leave, I would."

"Why can't you?" She finds herself asking, but regrets it immediately when his eyes darken and he drinks down the rest of the blood. Bile rises in her throat, but Maka holds it down.

"Because I can'. Now who gave you the vampire blood?"

Maka thinks back, but her thoughts are hazy at best. She vaguely remembers someone handing her a cup and telling her to go. She tells this to Soul, and he scoffs, turning away from her once more.

"You should get some sleep."

"I can't—you've messed up my internal clock."

"Well that's too bad, isn't it?" He murmurs, focusing on something in front of him. "I'll talk to you more about this later. Sleeping might trigger memories."

Maka feels heat rise in her face at being _dismissed,_ but she ignores the curling in her gut and stands, swallowing back her pride. "I'm sorry for ruining your night, okay? But—but why are you being so mean? I know I messed up, I know. But what happened to that guy in the car?"

Soul scoffs, throwing his head back and looking over at her. "Did you think I was being serious? I was hungry, you smelled good, and I _tricked you."_

Blinking back angry tears, she turns away from him. "And the ring thing? What was that?"

"That? That was me giving you a way to defend yourself so I didn't waste my night watching over you."

Maka scrubs at her eyes and turns away, already starting toward the door. "Fuck you, Soul."

"Oh and one more thing?"

She stops but doesn't turn around. All she wants is for him to laugh and tell her he'd joking or—or that he's sorry. Because she wants to believe that the guy in the car was the real Soul. She _knows_ that it was so _why is he lying?_

"Call me Soul again and you'll stay in your room for a week."

Maka throws the doors open, not caring that it echoes loudly through the house. _Fuck him, fuck this house, fuck this place,_ Maka thinks, and after a moment's hesitation, runs for the front door.

_ll using it so review._


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **your heart on the line

**Rating/Warnings: **M

**Word Count: **3,717

**Character(s): **Maka Albarn, Soul 'Eater' Evans, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Kim Dehil, Ox Ford, Mira Nygus

**Pairing(s):** Eventual Soul/Maka, slight Tsubaki/Black Star

**Summary:** Maka Albarn's life could be summed up in a series of colourful and offensive words, at the current moment, _fucked,_ would be perfect.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Notes: **Sorry for posting so late, everyone! I've been working a lot this past week, and I've scraped this chapter twice already. It's mostly a filler chapter, nothing incredibly exciting happening in it. But I hope everyone enojoy's anyway~

* * *

She's barely out of the door before Soul's hand is latching onto her arm, gripping it tighter than Giriko ever had. Maka gasps, curling her fingers into a fist and trying to pull away from him. He doesn't let her, but Maka notes that his eyes are not as harsh as they were.

"I'm—Maka, wait," she tries to kick him, but he maneuvers them around until she's pressed against his chest. She could probably donkey kick him, but he hopes she doesn't because kneecaps are the worst bones to break, and the worst to fucking heal. "Stop fighting me."

"Why?" Her voice is watery, but she does stop fighting, body going limp in his arms. He supports her weight and watches her head slump forward. "You won't send me home or tell me _anything,_ and you get angry at me for…for making stupid mistakes that you could have prevented if you'd _talk to me _and you're a fucking _asshole." _He doesn't realize how fast she is until he's on the ground, biting back curse after curse as his kneecap tries to repair itself.

Maka smirks down at him, eyes bright. "Don't underestimate me, and don't follow me, or the next thing I crush will be your dick."

Adrenaline pumps through her, heavy and fast in her veins, and she runs as far and fast as she can, grinning at the fact that the sun has begun to rise a bit in the distance. She inhales through her nose and out through her mouth and runs faster. Maka doesn't hear anyone following her, but she knows that the vampires can be quiet when they want to be. But hopefully the sun is delaying them a bit. If they can even go out into the sun—

_Oh no,_ she thinks, dread rising in her throat. She'd broken Soul's knee. _She'd broken Soul's knee and the sun was coming up._ Would he be able to get inside the house? Would anyone risk getting (burned, disintegrated?) hurt by the sun to save him? She thinks they would. _Knows _that they would.

But she can't worry about that any longer. She hears cars and spots a clearing ahead and _yes, yes, yes! _She hopes her car is still in the same spot as before. Even though she's not entirely sure where she is right now, she's pretty sure she could find her way if she gets to the road.

Her feet ache from running in only socks, and Maka decides that once she finds her car (if it's still there) she'll find her comfiest shoes and put something on that _isn't_ as revealing as this dress. With a glance down at herself, Maka holds back a groan at the rips and skin that are showing. She hopes Liz and Patti hadn't liked this dress.

* * *

Ox tugs him into the house, ignoring Soul's curses and yelps to _be careful._ Tsubaki and Kim are waiting for him when they get in, Ox kicking the door shut behind them. By now, his knee is mostly healed, just filled with small aches of pain if he puts his weight on it. He limps away from Ox, grumbling under his breath about stupid fucking humans.

Tsubaki starts forward, catching him by his elbow while Kim comes closer to check his healing. The two women begin to speak at the same time, but Tsubaki allows Kim to speak first.

"Pull your pant leg up—er, just take them off all together," Kim decides hastily, throwing Ox a dirty look. "And you can leave."

"_Kim~" _The man whines, shoulders drooping at his dismissal, but Soul shoos him away with a wave of his hand, giving his thanks to Ox.

While Tsubaki helps him take his pants off, he explains what happened. His subjects look a bit annoyed at the way he'd spoken and treated Maka, but he doesn't care. Sure, he could have been nicer to her, been more patient with her, but the girl infuriates him and gets in more trouble than she's worth sometimes. Causes _him_ big problems that he'll surely have to explain at the next council meeting.

By the time Kim has made sure his knee is healing the proper way, Soul is exhausted and not in the mood to talk to Tsubaki. But, of course, she demands it, and they end up in the living room once more. He's starting to hate that room.

"I spoke to…to Black Star tonight."

It dawns on Soul that she's angry with him. He wants to laugh, but he knows it would only upset her more. "And what did my friend tell you?"

Her face flushes and she turns away from him, anger evident in her stance. Soul wonders what his best friend had done to upset her. Unless of course it was _him_ who was upsetting her.

"He says Arachne is fed up with you, and that she wishes to exterminate you."

"That isn't really a surprise," Soul drawls, pouring himself a shot of blood. He offers one to Tsubaki, who glares at him.

"It isn't just _talk_ now. She really wants to. Black Star says she's got the plan already laid out, but the only problem is the grigori. She knows why you want her, Soul. She knows it isn't just her blood that intrigues you. And she wants Black Star to be the one that gets her. How can he say _no_ without—without giving away his—"

"Tsubaki," Soul begins, but she cuts him off.

"Just bring him back. Order him back here, Soul. Please don't let them kill him! He'll fight them tooth and nail but he won't be able to beat them all, and you _sent him there_ and—"

"_Tsubaki!"_ Soul snaps, louder than he'd meant to. She stops, turning her tear-filled eyes to his. Tall, slender shoulders slump and she puts her hands to her face.

"Don't let him die, please. You know he will if he stays there." Her voice comes out as nothing more than a whisper, and Soul stands, ignoring the height she has on him and tugging her toward him, wrapping his arms around her.

* * *

She's only spotted two cars on her walk back to her car and neither had stopped or slowed down, and she isn't sure if she should be offended or glad.

When she gets to her car, only a little part of her is upset that it's still there. Wouldn't they have taken it, dusted it for evidence? Or maybe they hoped the people who'd taken her would go back and hide the evidence!

Either way, Maka is also glad that it's there. She nearly races to the car, thrilled that she can change and hopefully make her way to a town, but two things hit her when she gets there. One, she doesn't have or _know_ where her car keys are, so she can't open the doors and get into the back seat and trunk that hold all of her belongings, and two, she had a problem with her car, which was what got her into this mess.

When had she last had her car keys? She can't remember if she had them before she'd run away from Arachne, or if she even had them when she woke up at Soul's. She wants to yell and scream and kick the car, but her would draw unnecessary attention to herself, and hurt her foot.

Maka wonders if Arachne can smell her from here. Maka wants to rub herself against every tree from here to Soul's, just to be a nuisance and remind that witch of a vampire what she'd lost, but then Maka is reminded of Soul's words, _they'll track you down _race through her mind. Perhaps if she gets a good ways away they'll leave her be.

But she can't _do_ that, she thinks glumly, slumping against her car, if she can't open the trunk and get her clothing and shoes. Frustration and desperation flood through her. Maka looks around, watching for cars and passerby's, but when she spots no one, she searches the ground for a tree branch thick enough to break her window with. She'd already fucked her car up, why not do it some more?

She almost wants to cry when she breaks the window of her car, watching the glass scatter across her passenger seat and the dirt at her feet. Her father had given her this car when she turned sixteen, and although it may not have been the newest model or even that _nice_ it was still something he did and bought for _her_. She hadn't really wanted it at the beginning; hadn't wanted anything to do with the man she once called papa, but like most things, she got over it.

Maka bites her tongue at the thoughts and pushes them to the back of her mind, reaching through the window instead to pull the locks. They all pop, and she happily throws the doors open, reaching for her suitcases. The blonde manages to build a barricade before the windows so that no one could see her changing as they drive by.

The first thing Maka does is pour the stale, warm water from her bottle in the front seat over her neck. She hadn't realized how much blood had crusted against her collarbone. Instantly she curses Soul and her stupid fucking ideas. _You gave me yours, so it's only fair that you get some of mine, right?_ She's an idiot, and she vows to never let another vampire bite her again. She vows to never _see_ another vampire again. Maka pours the remaining water over her neck and scrubs, ignoring the small pain from irritating the bite marks. The blood doesn't come off completely, but hopefully it isn't as noticeable as before.

Tugging on a black shirt and a pair of shorts, Maka digs through her suit cases for a pair of shoes. Already the heat is making sweat prickle at the back of her neck and on her back. A quick check of her watch tells her it's almost six thirty, which means she's been gone for two hours and nothing will be open at six thirty in the _goddamn morning!_

After searching the front of her car frantically for her phone and not finding it anywhere, Maka gives up, slumping into the backseat. The heat from outside has settled in the car, leaving it dry and unbearable. Frustrated, Maka grabs the change from her cup holder, counting out two dollars and thirty-seven cents. It's not much, but it'll allow her the use of a payphone, and that's good enough.

Getting out of the car, Maka begins in her walk to the nearest town.

* * *

Mira Nygus knows she's seen stranger things. Hell, watching someone step through flames to _save her_ without being burnt themselves was strange. But there is something about a girl who looks like she can't be older than eighteen walking into her diner that strikes her as odd.

Maybe it's the bruises and scratches on her legs, or the faint stain of red that brightens the pale skin of her collarbone. Nygus has a small idea of what it is, but she pushes it to the back of her mind and plasters a smile on her face, hoping this girl isn't that dumb.

"What's bringing you here so early?" She asks, grabbing a menu and placing it in front of the girl as she sits down on one of the stools lining the bar.

The girl looks startled when Nygus speaks, and she flushes, giving a smile in return. "Uh, couldn't sleep all that well. I was looking around for a payphone but…"

"But there aren't any," Nygus answers for her, putting a hand on her hip. She watches the girl stare at the burns that spread across her face and arms, but she's long since been bothered by gawkers. People in Death City were used to her scars, and there weren't many newcomers, but when there were, they stared outright. At least this kid was trying _not to._ Though, Nygus wasn't sure which was worse. "I've got a phone in the back, if you'd like. And I can get you a coffee or somethin' while you're waiting for…a ride?" She guesses, eyebrows drawing together at the way the girl's face pales. Nygus watches with suspicion as the girl glances around them, eyes shifting around the diner.

"There isn't a phone out here?"

"It's broken," Nygus supplies, leaning against the bar, tapping her fingers against its sticky top. She'll have to get Sid to buy more of that cleaner that makes the tables not as sticky.

Here, the girl fidgets, jaw clenching. Her fists curl and she nods, swallowing. "But I don't need the coffee. I don't—well; I don't really have much money on me."

"It's on the house," Nygus allows the girl around the bar, showing her to the back room. "You can call me Nygus."

"I'm Maka," the girl murmurs, following quickly behind her. Nygus turns, giving the girl a smile. "That's pretty. Where you from, kid? I haven't seen you around here, and I know everyone."

After a few moments, Maka answers, "Florida."

"Ah," Nygus laughs, motioning to a phone. "So it's a long distance call?"

Maka seems to pause before she grabs the phone, drawing her bottom lip in between her teeth. "Damn, I totally forgot. Is that alright? I can pay for the charges when I get my wallet but—"

"'S'no problem, kid." Nygus turns, flicking the stove on, placing the kettle over the burner. "Whatcha like in your tea?"

"Milk and two sugar, please," Maka answers, and Nygus hears the sound of her pressing numbers on the phone.

It's a few moments of Maka twisting the cord around her finger and Nygus making coffee before someone answers, and Maka speaks.

"Hiro!"

Nygus turns away, grabbing some of the frozen waffles from the big fridge, thanking Sid for buying them, though she had been pissed at first. She preferred making the waffles herself (well, the cooks would, but Nygus liked the taste better) and Sid had insisted that the time that if she ever wanted to do something quick, nobody would know the difference. So far, she hadn't had a reason to use them, but it was too early and already too hot in the kitchen to be making her own batter.

She doesn't _mean_ to eavesdrop on the conversation. But as she listens to Maka's frantic voice fall, sounding annoyed and a little upset, Nygus finds herself pausing.

"…I didn't realize you had company, sorry."

Was this her boyfriend? Uh-oh, Nygus thought, shaking her head slowly, the smell of waffles and coffee wafting through the room. Maka's stomach grumbles loudly, but the girl doesn't seem to pay attention.

"No, no, it's fine. I just…wanted to let you know that I'm…okay…"

She doesn't sound okay. Her idea about the red on the girl's collarbone grows bigger in her head. Nygus is sure she knows what this girl has been through, and she thinks she knows whose car is was sitting alone on the side of the road leading into town that Sid had spotted. _He had her wallet, didn't he?_ She wonders, popping the waffles up and tossing them onto a plate. She grabs butter and syrup for Maka and puts them on the table in the kitchen, pulling a chair out for herself. Nobody usually stops by the diner until around 9:30, anyway.

"Yeah, you too, Hiro. Bye."

Nygus watches as the girl hangs up the phone, hands shaking, face pinched. She wants to ask, but refrains. Maka turns to her, tucking hair behind her ear. Nygus spots two scabs along her neck and bites her tongue, cursing those vampires to hell and back. "Why don't you come eat, Maka? You must be hungry."

Maka points to the phone quickly, speaking almost too fast for Nygus to catch. "I—I just need to call my boss and explain why I didn't show up, ifyoudon'tmind."

Waving her hand and sipping her own coffee, Nygus says, "Go right ahead."

She wonders what they did to her. _Who_ did this to her. Instantly Nygus thinks of Arachne and her house, but knows that if that were the case, Maka would be drained already, seeing as her car had been there a few days. Her next thought would be Medusa, who has been silent lately, and from what she understands, the snake-eyed vampire is gone away on 'business'.

_It couldn't be Soul,_ Nygus thinks. The boy had few rules, but one of them was that humans were not to be fed on in his house. But that might not have stopped him. She hadn't seen the white-haired man in a few weeks, and when she'd seen Tsubaki and Kid a week ago, they had been short with her, almost rude. _Well I'll have to talk to him,_ she decides, but still hopes that he wasn't the one that took this poor kid.

"I _know,"_ Maka stresses into the phone, face drained of colour. "But there were car troubles and this man—hello? Mr. Schmidt?" She pulls the receiver away, frowning at it. "He hung up on me."

"Don't worry about that right now," Nygus kicks the chair across from her out far enough for Maka to sit, which she does, carefully.

* * *

He hadn't known she was missing. Hiro hadn't known Maka never made it to her new job. It stings and makes her chest freeze. All she wants to do is cry, but no tears come to her eyes. He had been with another _girl_. Maka knows she doesn't have a reason to be jealous or upset, and she's _not_ jealous, but…but it had been less than a month since she'd broken up with him, and he's already sleeping with—well she _assumes_ he's sleeping with the woman—someone else. It hurts and she hates it.

Maka bites into her food savagely, not realizing how hungry she was. Her stomach rumbles it's appreciation at each bite, and Nygus is laughing at her. This food isn't half as good as the food Tsubaki had made her the night before, but it's still good and Maka savors the warm syrup that slips down her throat.

"Thank you for the food. And for using your phone." She says between bites, wiping her mouth with the napkin Nygus had given her. She leans back in her chair and gives the woman a smile. "These past few days have kind of…sucked, and it's nice to have someone being kind to me."

Nygus nods and stands, taking the empty plate from Maka, "So how old are you, kid? You look pretty young to be travelling so far."

"I'm twenty-three," she answers, standing to wash her own dish, taking it from Nygus' hand. She sees a smirk on the older woman's face, but ignores it. "I had a job offering a few towns away, but…I guess they gave my position away."

"Why'd you take a job so far from home?"

Maka wonders if Nygus is just making casual conversation or if there is more behind it, but she decides she doesn't care. Nygus hasn't done anything to hurt Maka or threaten her. "…I wanted to get away from there. My uh…papa died, a few years ago, and my mama has been travelling since I was fifteen. I haven't _seen_ her since I turned seventeen. I didn't really have anything left there, and when this job offer came up…well it paid more than enough so I took it."

She wipes sweat away from her nose and washes the plate and silverware, grimacing at the heat of the water.

"And how come you never made it to that job you wanted?" Nygus murmurs, and Maka turns, staring at the woman sitting with her feet on Maka's empty chair. The scars on her skin stand out so much and Maka tries not to stare, but finds herself doing so anyway. Despite the marks on her face and arms, she's a beautiful woman.

"My car broke down," Maka murmurs, rinsing the dishes off and placing them on the rack beside the large sink. She keeps her back to Nygus, hand clutching the edge of the sink. She wants to tell someone what happened to her, but she's positive people will think she's crazy. They have to, don't they? Who—who the fuck believes that _vampires_ exist?

But she has a feeling that Nygus _might_ know what she's talking about; might understand. Maka turns, raising a hand to rest against the marks on her neck. "And then there was this man."

She talks quickly, not pausing to gauge Nygus' reaction. She doesn't want to know if the woman is looking at her like she's insane, or if she knows or _whatever._ Maka barrels on, and soon her chest is heaving and she's glaring at the tiles at her feet.

"Maka," Nygus begins slowly, standing. Maka doesn't look at her, but she feels warm hands on her arms. "I—I can't imagine what that was like. But I know Soul," here, Maka looks up, startled. "And I know that there must have been a reason behind what he did. It doesn't excuse what he did to you, believe me," she says quickly, before Maka can protest. "But let me talk to him. I'll give him a call later, but in the meantime, here."

Nygus walks toward a wall opposite of them with aprons hanging on it. She grabs one and tosses it to Maka, grinning. The blonde catches it, fumbling a bit. "What's this…?"

"Well you've got nothin' to do all day, so I thought you could bus tables. Not too hard, just taking orders and whatnot. Plus I'll pay you. We've been short on waiters the past few weeks and I've been meaning to hire someone."

"You're…hiring me?"

The woman grins, already walking to the door, and Maka hears a bell chiming, "Yup. We'll talk about a place for you to stay, after."

Maka manages a grin before the door opens, and she pulls the apron on over her head, wiping tears from her eyes and tugging her hair into pigtails.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **your heart on the line

**Rating/Warnings: **M

**Word Count:** 2, 526

**Character(s):** Maka Albarn, Mira Nygus, Sid Barret, Justin Law, Soul 'Eater' Evans, Blair

**Pairing(s):** Eventual Soul/Maka

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Notes: **Sorry for the wait! This chapter is basically another filler and the next one is when the interesting things start. I want to thank Lueur and Scarlett for their help in this chapter and the ones to come. Alright, hope everyone enjoys~

* * *

It's around noon when Maka leans against the bar. She's exhausted already, and she curses vampires and their fucking sleep patterns. Nygus grins at her from the other end of the diner, pouring coffee for a man with scars and stitches on his face. When Maka looks at him their eyes meet. He seems familiar, but then he moves and the glare on his glasses blind her. A wave of unease passes over her, but Maka shoves it away, taking her next order and bringing it to the next table.

Nygus comes up to her a half hour later, telling her that Tsugumi, one of the other waitresses, will take over while she's on her break. Maka sighs gratefully, already making her way toward the backroom, legs and arms aching. The older woman follows her back, shouting at someone to take over for her at the cash register.

Maka almost weeps when she sits down, lifting her aching feet onto the chair beside her. Nygus takes the one across from her, laughing. "You've never done this before?"

"Am I that obvious?" Maka asks, tilting her head back, the sun from the window hitting her face. It's warm in the kitchen with people cooking around her, grease popping and sizzling, the smell of food wafting toward her.

"Nah," Nygus murmurs, but Maka knows she's lying.

They sit in silence a while, when Maka finally says, "I've missed the sun these past few days." She catches herself before she speaks anymore, casting a weary glance to those around her. They all laugh and talk to one another, but she doesn't know if she should talk about the vampires around them. Nygus hadn't seemed too surprised when Maka told her but…

"C'mon," the woman gives her a look, standing and walking toward another door. Maka follows, casting another glance over her shoulder, but nobody is watching her.

When she closes the door behind her, Nygus begins to speak immediately. "Sorry about that, Maka. Those kids in there don't know anything about the vamps. Most folks around here _don't._ Just that they're different. Don't wanna think too much about it, y'know?"

_Yes,_ she wants to say, but merely leans back against the door. Instead, she asks, "How do you know?"

Nygus grins, dropping down into the chair at her desk. "Death, he's the one who lives in the big house on the hill. My grandmother was a witch, one of the most powerful on this side of the world. She had to go to council meetings, was always busy making things for other supes. She'd known Death since she was a girl. When he moved here, he asked her to work for him. I don't really know what for, but I'd lived with her, so I was used to his presence. I always knew grams was a witch, and she'd taught me all about the supernatural."

Maka wonders how Nygus can sleep at night. She's been terrified of these vampires, but Nygus…_grew up_ knowing about them. She'd been immersed into their lives since she was a child.

Nygus seems to sense Maka's unease, and she laughs, motioning for her to sit down. Maka moves away from the door shakily, lowering herself down into the plush chair.

"I doubt Soul told you much about vampires or anything else."

"Only that—that they could track me if I left. Something about my blood smelling good."

The woman's eyes narrow slightly, but before Maka has a chance to study it, Nygus is back to her pleasant self. "Soul's funny about things like that."

* * *

He's sleeping. He's fucking sleeping, and whoever is fucking calling him is going to _fucking die._

"_What?"_ He snaps into the phone, voice cracking with sleep. Soul glares at the clock that says it's four in the afternoon.

"_Don't you even start with me you little shit."_

Soul curses his very existence, rolling over onto his back. Of course that idiot human would find Nygus of all people. If he were ever afraid of any humans, it would be Nygus. Her grandmother was scary, but Nygus was a nightmare. "So you've met Maka?"

"_I don't know what you were planning on doing to her. But I **do** know you lied to her."_

_Shit,_ he thinks, rubbing a hand over his eyes. He's too tired for this bullshit. "I didn't _lie_ to her—"

"_Soul,_" she says sharply, and he feels like he's five years old, which is so not cool. "_Whatever you did, you better fix it." _And she hangs up, the dial tone ringing loud and angry in his ear. What the fuck does that mean? Does she want him to stroll over there and _apologize?_ Or did she tell Maka that he was lying? Probably not; she'd make him do it.

Maka was starting to become too much trouble. But what else did he expect? Her soul practically spelled out her personality to him.

Sighing, Soul tossed the phone to the other side of his bed and curled up tighter under the blankets, allowing sleep to cloud his mind again. He'd deal with her when he woke up.

* * *

Maka is pulling her apron off when two police officers wander into the diner. The bigger one makes his way to Nygus, while the skinnier blonde sits down at bar. He looks around, eyes landing on her. She smiles, and he returns it.

Nygus had told her to stop whenever she got too tired, but…well she wasn't incredibly tired. Maka doesn't bother tugging her apron back on. Instead, she tosses it on the hook by the door to the kitchen and walks toward the man. "Can I get you anything?"

"Your name might be nice," he laughs, then adds, "Also a coffee."

He reminds her of Hiro a bit, but mostly because of his hair and eyes. Hiro was never one to outwardly flirt with her. He usually saved things like this for when they were alone, and she'd never known different. But she likes this outward flirting. _Can I even call it that? I'm probably just thinking too much. He's probably like this with all the girls._

She hands him his coffee with a smile. "Maka."

The officer holds out his hand, "Justin. So you're new around here, huh?"

"Yeah," Maka answers, pulling a stool closer to her. She sits, wincing at the way the plastic feels against her legs as she tries to slide. "Just got in a few days ago."

"Already working for Nygus?" Justin laughs. He's got a pretty laugh. Not deep like Soul's—

_Shut up._

"I only started today. She took pity on me." Maka plays around with the sugar and salt packages, stacking them on top of each other. Her stomach flutters when Justin grins at her. She's about to speak again when something catches her eye outside.

_No,_ she thinks, stomach plummeting. Her heart starts beating faster, and her insides seem to twist around one another. Justin seems to sense her unease and turns, following her gaze to the car outside.

"Oh, how nice," Justin drawls, turning back to her, grabbing his coffee and taking loud, long drinks. "Eater's here."

Maka hands shake when she messes up her salt and sugar tower. Justin doesn't seem to notice that, but his eyes narrow at her. "Is everything alright?"

She wants to tell him no, that's she scared off the man getting out of the car, but his eyes are meeting hers and she can't look away.

"Do you know him?" Justin asks, an edge to his voice. "Maka? What's the matter?"

When Soul steps into the diner, it isn't her direction he walks. Instead, it's Nygus and the other officer's. The man turns and grins, shaking hands with Soul, while Nygus gives him a stern look, mouth pulled tight.

Maka turns away from the exchange, face heated, hands stuffed between her thighs. "Sorry, what?"

Justin is frowning, and he reaches an arm out, touching her shoulder. "Do…do you need to leave? I can take you home if you're feeling…ill."

Unsure of what she wants, or where she'd go, Maka shakes her head, managing a small smile. "Sorry, I spaced out. But I'm fine, now."

He still looks worried, but nods.

She isn't sure how long Soul talks to Nygus and the other officer, but Justin keeps her mind from wandering. He's funny and energetic, and she finds she likes it. He's in the middle of telling her a story about a woman getting stuck in a baby swing when Nygus comes up beside her, the other officer and Soul following.

Justin and Soul don't acknowledge each other, but she can see the tension between them. Justin scoots his chair a bit farther away, and Soul crosses his arms over his chest, eyes resting on Maka.

The sinking feeling overwhelms her again, and it's only Nygus' hand on her back that keeps her from running. "Maka, Sid found your wallet when he and Justin looked at your car the other day. Soul was just telling him that you were staying at his house. Sid's going to send a tow truck out there in the morning to get it."

Maka nods, not trusting herself to speak. Nygus rubs her back reassuringly. "If you want, I can have him drive you to one of the inn's a few blocks away.

Again, she nods, turning to smile at the man. But it's Justin who speaks up, drawing Maka's attention. "I can drive her, Nygus. I'm going that way."

"If you're alright with that," Nygus says to Maka, and she gives a quick, "Yes," before slipping off the stool, getting to her feet uneasily. Soul's eyes seem to follow her, but Maka ignores him. Why should she be worried about him anymore? Nygus was here and so were Sid and Justin, too. She was safe.

"Maka?" She turns sharply, staring at Soul. He seems nervous, almost, but Maka can tell it's an act. _He's_ an act and she's not buying it anymore.

Steeling herself, Maka asks, "What?"

Justin is already on his feet, and Sid is handing her back her wallet. But Soul is frozen in his spot. "Could I talk to you?"

She knows that she should tell him no. Tell him to go fuck himself and leave with Justin. But she's nodding before she has a chance to say anything, stepping around the bar and walking toward a booth by the window. She turns to Justin quickly, "I'll only be a moment."

"No problem," he nods, turning to speak with Sid and Nygus while Soul follows her.

They're standing at the table in seconds, and Maka slides into the seat, gritting her teeth at the coolness of the plastic. "What do you want?" She snaps at him, watching as he slides into the seat across from her.

"I wanted to talk, but I can see that you're exhausted. So…" he swallows, turning away from her to look out the window. "So I was wondering if tomorrow night we could talk instead. You could get a good night's sleep and think it over if you need to. Nygus can give you the number to my cell phone—"

"Why would I want to talk to you?" She asks incredulously, leaning forward, hands flat against the table. "What could you possibly say that will make everything better?"

"I didn't say I wanted to apologize," he glares at her. "But I'd like to…to explain why I did the things I did."

"And how do I know you won't compel me? Or follow me to the inn tonight?"

"Even if I did follow you I wouldn't be able to get inside the room without your permission."

_Oh. _"Well I still don't trust you. And I don't…I don't know if I want to speak to you tomorrow. Or _ever_ for that matter." She lowers her voice, casting a glance over at the others. They don't seem to be paying attention to them. "You kept me locked away in that house for days, Soul."

"I know," he begins, running a hand through his hair. Maka follows the movement and wonders what his hair feels like. It looks thick, is it soft? She bets it is—

"I'll explain everything, okay? Just. Just get some sleep and I'll have Nygus give you my number. You don't have to call me. If you don't, I'll leave you alone, alright? But I'd really like to explain myself."

He sounds almost honest, but Maka knows better than to believe him now.

* * *

"This is my number, and this is Soul's," Nygus says, handing her a piece of paper. Maka takes it and shoves it into the pocket of her shorts, smiling at Nygus.

"Thank you for your help. For everything."

"It's no problem," Nygus laughs, leaning forward to pull Maka into a hug. She resists for only a moment, then wraps her arms tight around the other woman. "But you start at three tomorrow, so don't be late."

Maka laughs as they pull away, and she nods at Sid, thanking him for finding her wallet and calling the towing company. Finally, she turns to Justin, who is waiting patiently by the door, hands shoved into his pockets. "Ready?"

"Yeah," she nods, following him out to his car.

* * *

The room at the inn was old but quaint. Comfortable.

But she ached for Hiro's soft carpet and her own worn couch, the one she'd scavenged from a yard sale. Her friends had told her it was ugly, but Maka was more for comfort than beauty. She wanted to go _home_. Hiro may not have been the best boyfriend, but their apartment and his happy presence was always welcomed and nice and Maka misses it.

Tears sting at her eyes, but she ignores them, scrubbing her eyes before they can fall. She swallows and tosses the room key onto the table at the door.

She's just about to go into the washroom and take a bath when something taps on the window.

"Fuck off," she says aloud, eye twitching, mouth curling into a scowl. "Not tonight."

Maka wants to grab one of the lamps off the tables around her, but she doesn't want to go through the effort of finding their plugs, so she stalks to the window, remembering that nobody can get in unless she allows them to. Plus, she's on the third floor and if she pushes hard enough, whoever is outside her window will fall.

But when she tugs back the curtains, it's a cat that stares at her, calming her racing heart. "Hey, you look familiar," she murmurs, peeking out the window to make sure nobody is lurking in the darkness. When she doesn't see white hair or the glint of metal piercings, Maka unlatches the window, tugging it open so the cat can step through."

The collar around her neck says _Blair_ in cursive, and Maka pets the cat under her chain, laughing at the way Blair curls around her hand, purring happily. "Do you have a home? You've got a collar."

The cat doesn't answer her, and Maka doesn't make her leave.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **your heart on the line

**Rating/Warnings: **Teen

**Word Count: **5,008

**Character(s):** Soul Eater, Maka Albarn, Tsubaki, Liz Thompson, Justin Law, Mira Nygus, Tsugumi

**Pairing(s):** Eventual Maka/Soul

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Notes: **Alright, I know the update is late, but hopefully some SoMa bonding makes up for it.

* * *

It's almost noon when Maka finally gets around to phoning Soul. She'd spent most of the night tossing and turning, torn between calling him or ignoring his request. A part of her wanted to call him and demand he explain everything, demand that she be told why she was kept as his—as his _pet—_and the other, more rational part, wanted to pack up and leave this godforsaken town and run right back to Florida. But now that she had Nygus looking out for her and Justin being nice and she had a _job,_ she didn't want to throw it away.

_Besides, _she thought, _I can always tell him I don't want to see him. He'd probably stop coming around, right?_ She wasn't so sure, but Nygus seemed to have faith…or at least a little trust in the white-haired man, so he couldn't be _that_ horrible.

Justin had told her he would pick her up around noon to go and talk to the mechanic but early enough so they could get her to the diner before three. He'd be pulling up at any moment, and she doubted he'd appreciate her calling Soul. She wasn't sure why, but each time his name was brought up, Justin's mood would falter, and his eyes would darken.

Grabbing the phone that the inn provides, Maka grins as she calls him, hoping she's waking him from a deep sleep. The phone rings a few times before someone answers it, fumbling and swearing in the background.

She's got the phone cradled between her ear and shoulder while she attempts to tie the left side of her hair into a pigtail when he answers. "_Nygus,"_ Soul's sleep-laced voice snaps causing Maka's eyebrows to furrow. Did he not have caller-ID? "_If you're calling—wait, Maka?"_

"What time tonight?" She asks immediately, watching Blair stretch out on her bed. She mews at Maka, digging her claws into the blankets.

Soul is quiet for a moment, and she can hear shuffling, hear him yawn. "_Uh… Nine? Nine fifteen-ish, actually. Is that alright?"_

Nygus had said over the phone last night that she'd only be working until eight-thirty, but Maka figures she could wait around. "Fine, but on one condition: we stay at the diner."

"_Sounds good," _he murmurs, another yawn echoing through the phone. "_Thank you for taking this chance, Maka."_

He says something else, too, but Maka had switched the phone around to her other shoulder so she could work on the hair on her right. "Whatever," she mutters, hanging up the phone before he can say anything else. Her stomach aches a little, and she's sure it's from not eating since yesterday. From the bed, Blair mews again, blinking yellow eyes at her.

"And you," Maka points, tugging her shoes on, making sure her wallet is in her pocket. "I'll get you food later. But for now you'll have to fend for yourself. C'mon, out," she pulls the window open, watching the cat stretch and step through it, balancing on the ledge outside. She mews once more before Maka closes the window.

* * *

She hadn't realized last night how religious Justin was. From the moment she told him about meeting with Soul tonight (she hadn't told him why. Nygus had told her specifically to keep her mouth shut about what happened to her) he'd begun telling her that God would look out for her and keep her safe from vile people like Soul.

"You don't like him? Why?" She'd asked, watching the way his eyebrows drew together. He was very pretty, Maka thought, almost in a girlish way.

"Soul likes to think he is someone special in this town. But he isn't." The tone of his voice made her cold. It sounded threatening, menacing, and Maka wonders if maybe Soul had had problems with Officer Justin before.

But "oh," was all she said, biting her lip and turning away from him.

* * *

"Someone looks pretty goddamn spiffy for a not-date."

Soul's immediate response is, "Shut up, Liz," Soul snaps, but also knowing he was about to go look for her to ask her opinion, he holds two ties up. "Red or black? Or no tie? I was thinking black—_shut up!"_

"It's just," Liz says between laughs, leaning against the door way. "She's going to _know_ you want more than just to talk if you dress all fancy. And didn't you say you were only going to Nygus' diner? Why look—"

"You were listening in on my phone call?" Soul growls, tossing the ties onto his bed. Liz immediately stops laughing and straightens up, pursing her lips. He should have known _one_ of them would do it. And since Patti hadn't spilled the beans yet, he knows Liz was the only one. It annoys him, and he really wants to hit her. But he knows better than to try, because of all the vampire's in the house, Liz was probably one of the best fighters. And while he could probably hurt her a bit, she'd hurt him more. She liked to aim for his boys, too.

Soul shudders at the thought and turns, glaring at his reflection in the mirror. "I didn't want to go too casual."

Liz saunters into the room, flopping down on his unmade bed and lifting a pair of boxers with her feet. She scowls at the stripped fabric and kicks it away from her. "Hmm. You want dark colours, I assume? I mean, Maka probably expects you to wear dark colours. _I_personally like the lighter gray V-neck shirt you have, and maybe the beige pants? Of course your leather jacket, too. Because hot damn are you a fine piece of man in _that."_

Smirking, Soul turns to her. "Head band or…?"

"I personally want to cut your hair every time I see it because it gets into those pretty eyes of yours, but I…I think headband. Not the lame one Black Star bought you, either. Wear the black one."

He suddenly feels incredibly _girly. _He's picking out an outfit to wear to see a _human_ tonight. It's lame, and so uncool. Soul voices his thoughts, ignoring Liz's laughter.

"Well you _want_ her to like you, right? So maybe she doesn't like what you have to say, but she'll love the way you look."

"Maybe she likes pretty boys," Soul mutters, taking a seat next to Liz. The blonde gives him a hard look before flicking him in the ear.

"You're a very pretty boy, Soul. Don't let those mean humans tell you different."

Soul shoves her, sending her into the bedpost. Liz shoves back, kicking at his thigh. "I'm serious! You're hot, Soul. Who _else_ would she go after?"

"Justin Law." He thinks back to the way the police officer had glared at him while he spoke to Maka or the muttered words under his breath that Soul could hear clearly. Maka had seemed oblivious, not that Soul could blame her. She seemed pretty freaked out that he was there in the first place. Had Nygus told her that he'd show up? Probably not, Nygus was always getting into people's business and letting things happen in their own way.

"Ugh, that Jesus lovin' guy? Sure he's cute, but I doubt Maka will be into someone so religious. I mean, it seems like she's into _you—"_

"She really _isn't_ though," Soul snaps, but Liz continues to talk over him.

"—she let you bite her; I'd say there is a _bit_ of attraction there. And since we're like the anti-Christ's of the earth, I'm sure she's not very religious. And you should really stop getting down on yourself and being so mopey," Liz stands, cracking her back as she stretches. "Oh, by the way, Tsubaki can't find Blair."

"Wonderful," Soul groans, but gives Liz a small smile. "And thanks. For the clothes thing."

"Mm," Liz laughs, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

"…and my friend Anya, she's the blonde girl, she's a bit strange and sometimes too proper, but she's always there for me."

Maka nods, handing another order sheet to one of the cooks, Kilik. He smiles and thanks her, and Maka turns back to Tsugumi. "But she doesn't get along with your other friend, Meme?"

Tsugumi nods, and despite their apparent dislike for each other (Anya more so than Meme, who looks a bit out of it), they both sit at one of the booths in Tsugumi's section. "But when they get along we have a lot of fun!"

"It must be hard, though," Maka moves along the counter, collecting a few of her tips. "Having to choose between friends."

"Not really," the black-haired girl murmurs. "Anya is more worried about it than Meme or I. Meme forgets a lot."

"Forgets?"

Tsugumi doesn't say anything. Instead, she skips over to her friend's table with drinks in her hands.

Maka smiles after her, turning to a man with stitches on his face. She really likes Tsugumi. She likes a lot of people in this town, but Tsugumi has stolen her heart. The younger girl is so cheerful and often worried about Maka, always offering to take over so she can go sit in the back and relax for a few minutes. A part of Maka feels almost pathetic that Tsugumi can notice how tired she is, but another part likes it. It's nice having someone watching out for you.

"Miss?" The man before her clears his throat, and she blinks, offering a smile. "Sorry about that, I spaced out. What can I get you?"

His lips quirk upward, but he doesn't smile. Instead, he leans forward, hands flat on the table. "You look vaguely familiar. And you have _lovely_ skin."

"Uh…" she's at a loss for words. What kind of guy compliments someone's _skin?_ But she manages to give him a hesitant smile, murmuring a quick, _thanks,_ before holding up her pad of paper and pen. "So…"

"I'll have a coffee, please. No milk or sugar, either."

Nodding quickly, Maka turns, walking quickly to the coffee pot. If she's honest, he looks a bit familiar too. She knows he was here yesterday talking to Nygus, and the two had seemed at ease, so perhaps he was just…senile? Or maybe he was just creepy. She wasn't sure, but if Nygus could talk to him without feeling uneasy, then Maka could too.

Tsugumi appears next to her, beaming. "I'm not staying all day, Maka."

"Oh?" She asks, scrunching her nose when she smells the strong coffee. "Why not?"

Tsugumi is already pulling off her apron, over the pigtails that she and Maka seemed to have in common. "Anya and Meme want to go to a movie, and since it's only showing today, Nygus said I could take the rest of the day off. Plus I did some overtime earlier this week, so it'll make up for my missed time today."

Maka bumps her hip with Tsugumi's, smiling. "Well, have fun and be safe, okay?"

"Sure thing," Tsugumi grins, turning away. "Bye, Maka!"

With a sigh, Maka turns back to the man at the counter. He's looking at her, but she can't see his eyes due to the glare on his glasses. She feels unease creep into her mind. She takes her time walking to him, telling customers that arrive that she'll be with them in a moment. By the time she makes it to the man, her hand is cramping from holding the mug so tightly. "Here you are, sir."

"Thank you," he's smiling now, but it does little to ease her mind. "Your name is Maka, huh? That's different."

She gives a quick look to the sticker Nygus had playfully stuck to her shirt. It said her name with a smiley-face, and Nygus had said it was so that she didn't get a thousand questions about her name like yesterday.

"Yes, my mama picked the name." She thinks. That's what her papa always told her when she asked why she was named something so strange. He'd always laugh and ruffle her hair and say something about her mama liking the name. She never had asked her mama about it.

He hums at her, and Maka takes her leave, ignoring the feeling of his eyes on her back.

It's only when Justin comes into the diner that Maka relaxes. It's been hours since Tsugumi had left, and despite her nametag, she'd been asked many questions about where she was from, how long she planned to stay. Some had _still_ asked her name, but Maka figured they were just being annoying kids.

She gives the blonde an exaggerated sigh when she takes his order. "Would you like coffee, officer?"

"Tea, actually," Justin laughs, lips lifting in a smile. She returns it easily, turning to make his tea. "Long day?"

It hasn't been a long day, really. She's just tired and a bit annoyed by all the questions. "No, but I'm sure by the end of the night it'll feel like it."

"What?" Justin laughs, taking his tea from her. "How so?"

"I've got a—" date? No, it's not a date. Not even close. But how does she explain to Justin what she and Soul are doing tonight without it sounding that way? "Soul's coming here after my shift. I need to talk to him about a few things."

Justin's mood seems to die at this, and he narrows his eyes. "You two are dating?"

"_No,_ no," Maka assures him, hoping the look on her face shows how much she does not want to date him. "It's not a date."

"Oh," Justin seems to relax, but there is a smirk on his face. "So I don't need to come back to give you a ride tonight? I'd only be able to do it when you get off. I've got plans tonight."

She hadn't thought about that. And since asking Soul for a ride is out of the question, Nygus is her only hope. She just prays that the older woman is still here by the time the two of them are finished speaking and that she doesn't have one of the chefs or other waitresses close the store for her. "Nope, you're night is Maka-free!"

He laughs but it sounds different. A bit crazy.

* * *

"Well you look like you're not ready to commit murder yet. I'm pleased."

Maka glowers at the man standing before her. It's nine-fifteen on the dot, and his punctuality startles her. Annoys her, almost. But she shoves the thoughts away and turns her glare to the window. "Not yet, but it's early still."

Soul laughs, another thing that startles her. He seems too happy, cheerful and there is hardly anything to be cheerful about. Maka grits her teeth and turns to face him, pulling herself up straight. She laces her fingers together and rests them on the table-top, eyes meeting Soul's.

He's _still_ grinning. How fucking annoying can one person be? He slides into the seat across from her, his shoes hitting hers as he makes himself comfortable. He's not much taller than her, but by the way her slouches in his seat their knees bump. She hadn't realized how small the booths were, but now she feels it. His smell drifts towards her, something like soap and cologne and something else that she can't describe but it's just so _Soul,_ and she's only known him for a few days.

He still hasn't begun speaking. Maka doesn't want to waste the time they have just watching each other, and she can feel her eye start to twitch, so she exhales sharply and begins, "So are you planning on saying anything? Or would you like to just sit here and stare at each other?"

"Where should we start? Maybe that your guard dog is still watching you?"

She knows he's talking about Justin, and to be honest, it's kind of freaking her out that he's still watching her and Soul. Although he doesn't make it obvious and her back is to him, she can feel those blue eyes on her and can see him in the reflection of the glass window. It's unnerving, and she thinks that Soul can probably feel it. "You know what I want to talk about, so get with it."

"Well _you're_ the one with all the questions, aren't you?"

He's got her there. She was the one that had all the questions, and he had been the one who promised to answer them. Maka turns away from his smirk and pulls her legs up under her, keeping them crossed on the bench. "Fine: can you go out into the sun?"

"If you're old enough," Soul answers, leaning forward, elbows propped up on the table. Maka slides her lemonade away from him, another question tumbling from her mouth, "Old enough? What's that mean?"

"Well, if you're newly made, like Liz or Patti, then the sun will burn you, sometimes even scar you. It hurts. But if you're older like I am, or Arachne, the sun hardly bothers you. If anything, it'll give you a headache."

They…they can go into the sunlight? Soul must see the way Maka reacts, because he leans forward, trying to get her to look at him. "But they won't come after you when it's daylight, Maka. Our energy isn't at its fullest during day." But that doesn't mean they won't. She's just a human, how is she supposed to defend herself against a _vampire?_

"Maka," Soul touches her hand hesitantly, but Maka pulls it away, turning her eyes to his. "They won't come after you. I promise."

For some reason, she believes him. Besides, they can't get into her room unless she invites them. At least, that's what Nygus said. "Okay then. How do I keep from being compelled?"

Soul doesn't answer her immediately, and Maka sips her lemonade, watching him. He's not looking at her anymore, but at something over her shoulder. She hopes it isn't Justin, but since she hasn't felt his gaze on her for a few minutes, she doubts it is. And Soul doesn't look irritated. He looks contemplative. Finally, he says, "I've never seen a human do it. But Nygus can, since she's got a bit of witch blood in her, and so can vampires."

This is not turning out the way she wants it to. She has virtually no way of defending herself. A vampire could compel her to allow them inside her room at the inn, or even come into the diner and compel her to leave with them. She doesn't let her fear show, however. Maka bites her tongue and nods, meeting Soul's red gaze.

"And how are vampires made?"

He seems to relax then, leaning back against the worn upholstery of the seat. "You have to die with vampire blood in your system."

Maka nods, scratching at her head. "And how can I defend myself if I need to?"

"Well," Soul begins, smirking once more, "You already figured out the wood thing. But silver works too." She does know about wood. She remembers the sound Mosquito made when she stabbed him with the stick, and the way his skin smelled as it burned from his face.

The next few questions are easy ones, and Maka finds herself relaxing more. She finds out that there are eight people who live at the house—Soul had called it the Boarding House, since it had been a school for boys back in the 1800's—, that he was born in the 1500's, but he doesn't remember the year anymore, and he'd created only one vampire, and it was Tsubaki.

"You killed her?" Maka had whispered, remembering how nice Tsubaki had been to Maka, despite her situation. She'd been one of the only people she felt safe around.

"No, but it's not my story to tell."

Finally, she asks, "Why do you keep switching your personalities? I mean one second you're mister nice guy, and the next you want to rip my head off."

"Did you ever stop to consider that maybe it's your charming personality that makes me like that?" He smirks, nudging her knee with his when he sees her scowl. "Kidding, kidding. I guess you…I was trying to keep you safe, you know. And when you did things that would jeopardize that it made me angry."

"But _why?"_ She asks, leaning forward. He flinches a bit at this, but his eyes don't leave hers.

"I'm not a good man. I'm not nice," he says after a while, eyes trained her. "I kill and hurt people, and sometimes I like it. I lie and pretend and act like a monster to achieve my goals."

She really doesn't need to hear this. Maka doesn't want a sob story. She wants to know why he was mean and why he kept her.

"I want you to know that I was worried about you the other day. And last night. I was worried about a stupid fucking human and I don't know why." A pause, then, "Sorry, I'm lying again." He laughs, knees knocking against hers once more. She wipes her sweaty hands on her shorts and meets his gaze evenly. "I was cruel to you because I didn't want you to get hurt or for Arachne to take you. I thought if you were scared of me you'd listen to what I said, but you didn't." He narrows his eyes. "I guess I should have expected it."

He's close to her before she has a chance to think. His smell overwhelming her. She's thankful that the diner is nearly empty except for a few people up at the counter. Soul's eyes are a mess of different things, but Maka can't tell what. Before she has a chance to back away, his eyes shoot down and he grins. "You're wearing the ring."

Maka looks down, noting that yes, she is wearing the ring he'd given her. It's clasped around her neck on the long chain. "I thought I might be able to shove it down your throat if you got out of hand."

"And have I?" He challenges, his arms going behind his head. He'd taken his jacket off earlier, and his shirt now rises with his arms, showing a strip of skin. His arms are also nice, she thinks. He looks strong.

"No," Maka sighs, smile playing at her lips. She rests her chin on her hand, "job well done."

An hour and twenty or so questions later, Maka finds herself being kicked out of the diner, Kilik giving her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, dude. Got to close up for the night; Nygus' orders."

"It's fine," Maka says, waving, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Kilik nods, grinning. "Yup! See ya, Soul. It was nice having you around here again."

The white haired man smirks, already walking away, waving over his head.

By the time Kilik closes the doors and flips the sign around, Maka and Soul are alone in the parking lot. "You didn't drive your car?"

Soul nods to a motorcycle at the end of the parking lot, sitting beside another car. Maka had assumed it was one of the cooks, or even Kilik's, but for some reason, Soul riding a motorcycle doesn't surprise her.

"You don't have a ride?" He asks as she begins to walk with him toward the motorcycle. . Nygus had left earlier, and Maka knew she had to walk back to the inn, so when she starts to follow Soul, she tells herself that it's because the inn is in that direction. _At least he wasn't a jerk tonight,_ she thinks, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. He's slouching, hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets, and he's _cute._ Did he dress himself? Or did someone help him—

She doesn't realize he's saying something until he snaps his fingers in her face. Maka jumps, turning to look at him. "What? Sorry."

"I asked if you need a ride to wherever you're staying."

Somehow, she knows he won't take her back to the boarding house or anywhere but her room, but she still says no anyway, pulling her sweater tighter around her body.

He doesn't seem to like it that she wants to walk, but he doesn't push it, which she appreciates. "So…if you're not busy tomorrow night, maybe I can ask _you_ some questions?"

"Like what?" Maka laughs, running a hand through her bangs. Soul's eyes follow the motion, then dart back to meet her gaze. "I'm not very interesting."

"I bet you are," he smirks, turning to get on his bike. He doesn't have a helmet, and although Maka's sure he doesn't need one, it still irks her.

Before she has a chance to scold him, Soul asks, "So you up for it?"

"I guess," she murmurs, because she's certainly got nothing else to do. "Goodnight, Soul."

"Night, Maka," he murmurs, and she begins her walk back to the inn.

Her night hadn't been as bad as she originally thought. Soul had been bearable, even _enjoyable,_ and she'd laughed more than once. He was funny and sarcastic when he wasn't being obnoxious and annoying. Suddenly, tomorrow night seems incredibly far away.

She's almost to the inn when she sees something across the road. By the time she looks over, whatever it is, is gone, but Maka's heart still thuds in her chest, and she quickens her pace, clutching the necklace Soul had given her. She can take a vampire. She took Mosquito, didn't she?

Maka doesn't see anything else, but she has the eerie sense that someone is following her. _It might be Soul, _the rational part of her mind says while Maka fiddles with the key to her room. She can see the man at the front desk, and she waves at him, still trying to unlock her door. She probably looks ridiculous, struggling with a door, but Maka doesn't mind.

She _does_ mind when Blair sidles up beside her, rubbing against her leg and startling Maka so badly that she yelps and drops her key. "_Blair!_ She snaps, but she's laughing at herself and picking the cat up along with the key. "Oh, damn! I left the cat food in Justin's car," she mutters, finally managing to unlock the door.

When it finally closes, Maka locks it with the chain and the deadlock, just in case.

* * *

He realizes how fucking creepy he is when he gets home. "She probably thinks I was someone else," he mutters to himself, looking through the fridge for something to eat.

"What?" Someone asks, and Soul turns to see Tsubaki frowning at him. She's got a pudding cup in her hand, and Soul turns to the cupboard, shutting the fridge with his foot, pulling out two puddings for himself. "Soul, talking to yourself means you're getting old."

"I'm already old," he tells her, dropping into the seat next to her. Soul pulls out his phone, scrolling through for Maka's number. When he finds it, he motions for quiet, even though Tsubaki isn't talking. But she did steal his pudding cup, that little—

"_Hello?"_

Oh _fuck._ She sounds tired. He probably woke her up. Well…well that's what she gets for waking _him_ up earlier. "Uh, Maka?"

"_Soul?"_ she sounds pissed. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Beside him, Tsubaki laughs at his scowl. "_Why're you calling me?"_

What if she didn't realize someone was following her? She probably just…freaked out because Blair was there. _Blair,_ Soul's eyes narrow as he thinks about the stupid cat. He's got to get her back here somehow—

"_Hellllllooo?"_

"Uh, sorry. I just—if you thought someone was following you, it was me. I just wanted to make sure you got home safe and…yeah. Okay. Goodnight, again."

"_…night. And thanks." _She hangs up before he can say anything else, and when he puts his phone down, Tsubaki allows her laughter to bubble up.

"And I thought Black Star was awkward at those type of things," she giggles, eyes softening. "Did you have a good night?"

He leans back in his chair, opening his pudding cup and stealing Tsubaki's spoon. "It was…entertaining. Better than expected."

"Good," Tsubaki says, standing and taking her garbage with her. "Because Kid said you've been summoned to a council meeting tomorrow night"

_Fuck,_ Soul thinks, stomach clenching. _Not good._


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **your heart on the line

**Rating/Warnings: **Teen

**Word Count: **4,960

**Character(s):** Soul Eater, Maka Albarn, Tsubaki, Justin Law, Death the Kid, Black Star, Lord Death, Arachne

**Pairing(s):** Eventual Maka/Soul

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Notes: **So I apologize for being such an awful updater! I deleted the document for this story on accident the other day, including the new chapter, so again, sorry! I hope this makes up for it, and the next chapter will have more action for sure.

* * *

"Oh _Lucy~"_ Maka coos, touching the hood of her car affectionately. "I'm so sorry I've ignored you these past few days. But I promise you that you're now in tiptop shape and costing me a fortune!"

Behind her, Justin laughs. It's contagious, and Maka finds herself laughing too, patting her car once more before turning around and waving at the secretary at the desk of the Auto Shop. She hopes that the woman can see her through the tinted glass.

"So where are you off to now? You don't have work until five, right?" Justin asks, leaning against her car door. Maka mimics him, and crossed her arms.

"I dunno, what is there to do around here? Other than go to the diner." Justin laughs again, and Maka smiles, tilting her head back to stare at the sky. It's a pretty blue today, and it's not nearly as hot as it has been. "Would you mind walking me around town, Officer?" She bats her eyelashes at him mockingly, and she notices that the sky matches the colour of Justin's eyes. She hadn't realized how _cute_ he was before.

He sighs, tucking his hands into his pockets and smirks. "Well, since I'm not on duty right now, I suppose I could volunteer my time-."

"Volun_teer?"_ Maka shoves him away from the driver's door and slips into her car, rolling the window down and poking her head out the window. He's laughing at her, and she sticks her tongue out. "I'm gonna bring my car back to the inn, so just follow me there and you can leave your cruiser and we'll go from there? Oh, and I've got to get my cat's food from your car before she starts bringing dead animals back to the inn."

"Sounds good."

* * *

**_"Where did you go?!"_**_ The voice isn't his—or maybe it was, once upon a time, but he recognizes the rage, the indescribable feeling of **hunger** rising in the pit of his stomach. And the feeling of loss, eating away at a heart that doesn't beat. **"Come out!"**_

_Somewhere, he hears her cackling, a loud mean thing that does nothing to soothe him. It makes him sick, or it would if he could be, but instead, he pushes himself farther, not feeling any pain in his muscles, or loss of breath. There are some advantages of this new body, this new **him,** but he doesn't want it. Not now or ever. And even as he skids into a clearing, watching the shadows dance around, the wind whip at his hair, Soul can do nothing but watch himself step forward into the patches of moonlight, eyes surveying his surroundings._

_She comes from out of nowhere, standing far too close behind him, laughing far too loudly. It grates on his ears even now, and as he turns, fangs coming out painfully causing his gums to bleed, he lunges._

_He drinks from her greedily, and she laughs and screams the entire way, chanting, "You ruined her,__and she shall never allow your touch the way she once did, you foolish child. I have made sure of it." _

_She laughs until Soul drinks the last of her blood._

* * *

Soul wakes slowly, lying in his bed for several moments, trying to remember things that happened too long ago, before opening his eyes, meeting the ceiling.

When he moves, he feels Tsubaki shift beside him, immediately waking up, and eyes snapping open. When she realizes it was only him who moved, and whose bed she's in, she colours. "I—I apologize. Last night I—."

"It's fine, Tsubaki," Soul stretches, and then reaches for the water bottle filled with blood on his nightstand. "What time is it?"

"Nine fifteen."

He knows he's late even before she tells him the time. Late for his and Maka's meeting-type thing that Liz calls a date, (but it isn't, really, because wouldn't that mean she liked him, even a little?) which meant he'd only have…half an hour, he guesses, before he'd have to leave for the council meeting that would surely take up the majority of his night. And it wasn't like he could skip _either_, so he's have to forego the shower that called for him and doused himself in enough Axe to last a century, and left, making sure to remind Tsubaki and Kid about the meeting later.

* * *

When her watch tells her that it's nine thirty, Maka almost wishes she'd taken Justin's request and gone with him back to his place to watch movies. But she didn't and he's long gone now, so all she can do is wait.

No, that's not true. She could drive back to the inn, or ask Nygus if she needs any help. But she…she _knows_ he's going to show eventually, and she'll just have to give him hell. Why would he go through the effort of asking her out—err, asking her to talk again, to not show up?

Now that she thinks about it, though, he didn't give a time, did he? But he did ask to talk about her. What if he thought she'd be boring and was planning on showing up late because he couldn't think of interesting things to ask her, or couldn't imagine her saying anything interesting at all?

_Why was she so worried?_

She didn't know. Not really, anyway. And she didn't care to think on it.

After another ten minutes, Maka was about to call it a night when his motorcycle pulled into the lot, parking a few spots away from where she had parked. She watches him glance at her car, and she can only imagine the things going through his mind. But she _likes_ her car, thank you. It's a pretty decent car. Usually.

He walks into the diner at a leisurely pace, and it annoys her, because he's _late,_ so he could at least _act_ like he's sorry, and not stroll in like he owns the damn place. If Nygus were out manning the register or talking to the few people who sat at the counter, she'd surely say something.

"Maka," Soul greets, sliding into the booth across from her. Maka sips her Pepsi, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You're late."

"You're…angry? No, annoyed. Yeah, sorry about that. My alarm didn't go off."

Well…if he's telling the truth, then she forgives him. She chooses to believe that he is, and she leans forward, resting her chin on her hand. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"You," Soul replies immediately, and her face colours, probably the same colour at his eyes, or the red V-neck he's wearing.

"What about me?"

He leans back in the seat, crossing his arms behind his head. Maka assumes he's thinking up a question, but when he asks, "What's your favorite colour?" She's not sure what to think.

It's not until several questions later (_Where did you go to school? Why didn't you complete university? Have you always driven that piece of shit? What kinds of ice cream do you like? Etc.) _That he leans forward, face turning serious. "Maka."

"Hmm?" She doesn't stop drinking from her pop, but she does try and quiet her gulps. When she finishes, she pulls away, licking her lips. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure how much Nygus told you, but there is a council meeting tonight. And I think it would be best if you went back to your inn soon."

She's not sure what this council meeting is for, or even what it _is,_ but she assumes the man that Nygus had referred to as Death would be there. What she _does_ understand is why she needs to be back at the inn. Maka swallows, pushing her drink away from her and clutches her thighs.

Soul gives her a wary smile and holds his hand out, resting it in the middle of the table. Slowly, Maka reaches for his hand, resting hers against his. It's warm, and not for the first time, she wonders how. She almost asks, but the way he's looking at her now, eyes serious, she stops. "If you want, I can have Tsubaki come to make sure everything goes okay. I'm sure that nobody would risk bothering you the same night as a council meeting, but just to be safe."

"Okay," she nods, twisting a finger around a pigtail. She meets Soul's eyes and offers him a smile, tightening her hand around his carefully. "I'm sure everything will be fine, though."

"Yeah," he nods, pulling his phone out and dialing Tsubaki's number.

* * *

By the time Maka and Soul arrive back at the inn, Tsubaki is already there, a duffel bag in her hand. "I brought movies!" She smiles hesitantly, offering her hand to Maka once the two reach the other vampire. Smiling back, Maka takes her hand and shakes it.

Soon, everything is situated, with Tsubaki sitting on the edge of the bed and the drapes all closed. Maka leans against the door, her eyes on Soul. "This…council meeting. Is it a regular occurrence?"

"Ah, yeah. Usually only when something happens like, well like you being taken. I'm sure I'll get a kick in the ass for it, but after tonight, I can almost guarantee Arachne won't come near you. Neither her nor Giriko."

Relief fills her, and she resists the urge to pump her fist in the air. "Awesome. T-thanks, Soul."

He nods, stepping away from the threshold and calling to Tsubaki over Maka's shoulder. "I'll talk to Black Star, tonight, okay?"

Maka guesses that Tsubaki nods, because she doesn't hear a word from the other woman.

She and Soul continue to stand at the door, the latter watching her, while she stares at the line of trees across the street. She imagines the vampires running through those trees—imagines herself running through them, trying to get away—

"I'll come by after the meeting, just to check in."

Startled, Maka turns to meet Soul's eyes. "You don't have to. I'm sure we can handle everything."

"I know you can," he smiles, reaching out to ruffle her hair. At first she stiffens, but after a moment, she shoves him away, blush heating her cheeks.

"You probably shouldn't be late for this, huh?"

"Probably not."

They stare at each other for a moment longer, and for a fraction of a second, she thinks he might…might hug her or kiss her, maybe, because he's leaning forward, eyebrows drawn together and—

His phone rings, cutting through their silence, and Soul turns away, shoving his hand into his pocket and retrieving the loud device. "I'm on my _fucking way,"_ he sounds exasperated and a little annoyed, and waves at Maka before stalking away, muttering angrily into the phone.

She stands and stares at the closed door for a few extra minutes, trying to calm her racing heart. What had just happened? It seemed like he might kiss her, and although Maka's seeing a side of him she hadn't before, she's glad that they were interrupted. She didn't trust him enough yet to…to allow him to do that. She didn't trust _herself_.

Exhaling loudly, Maka turns, hands on her hips, meeting Tsubaki's amused gaze. "What movies did you say you had?"

* * *

It's not until the boring, usual inspections are done that Lord Death mentions Maka.

He does so lightly, casually, and Soul would have missed it, had Kid not elbowed him roughly in the side. Council meetings were so goddamn boring, and it was only during them that he wished he weren't the leader of his own house. Life would be so much simpler.

Lord Death repeats, "The human girl that Arachne had tricked? The one you decided to keep as a pet and then allowed to leave? From what I understand, Mira Nygus has taken her under her wing. Is that correct?"

"Yes," Soul answers immediately, sitting up straighter in his chair. Arachne casts him a look of disgust, her eyes narrowing.

The older vampire nods, leaning forward in his chair. As usual, he's wearing a skull mask and a long black cloak, but his voice is cheerful and upbeat when speaking to the leaders of the houses, Soul, and Crona in Medusa's stead. The only time his voice drops, or his attitude changes, is when addressing Arachne. Kid had told Soul once that she'd fucked him over during a deal, and she still had yet to repay him for allowing her to live. "Would you mind recapping what has happened since her arrival? I can smell her grigori soul from here."

Soul can too, but only when his hand passes by his face. The lingering scent from when she'd held his hand is still strong, and he loves it.

He begins to tell Lord Death about Maka, and hopes dearly that he won't have her killed, or take her himself. The man had always liked Soul, as far as he could tell, but grigori's were rare things these days, and he was sure Death would kill to have one, literally.

But to Soul's utter relief, Death simply laughs, folding his hands over his stomach. "Oh, my boy, it seems like you've found another."

"Ah—yes, sir." He stares at the wall, and he can feel Kid stiffen beside him, knowing that the secret is out. He could practically _feel_ Arachne's gaze on him.

"Well then," Lord Death's voice is strong, serious, and there is nothing of the man they'd just seen. This vampire is ruthless and strong, he's the oldest, and could tear everyone in the room apart within minutes. Soul spies two of Death's house members at his side, Marie, a pretty woman with orange hair, and another man with red hair, who seems uneasy. "The girl is to be kept alive and unharmed." Despite the mask, Soul can tell that he's staring at Arachne. "Should any harm come to the grigori, the vampire will be immediately banished."

Soul can't help but smirk when he sees the rage across Arachne's face. And beside her, Black Star's eyes meet his.

* * *

Curling deeper into the thick blanket, Maka looks at the woman sitting next to her. It's refreshing to just relax; to sit here and be comfortable and be at ease. She hasn't felt it that much in the last week or so, but it's a happy, welcoming relief.

"So did you want to babysit me tonight, or did Soul make you?" Maka stretches her long legs out, grinning when she feels the familiar burn. Tsubaki is looking at something Maka can't see, and her lips twist downward into a frown. "I don't mind."

Maka snorts, pulling herself into a sitting position. "Wouldn't you rather be at the council meeting with him? To talk to that Black Star guy?"

Tsubaki's glare is fierce and hard, lips pressed in a thin line. "I suppose seeing him would make it harder to leave him, so no. I'm glad to be here."

She's taken back at the sadness of Tsubaki's words. "You mean you can't be with him? Oh my god, is it some sort of star crossed lovers thing?"

When the other woman doesn't answer, Maka whispers, "Tsubaki…do you love him?" Maka's heart clenches at the thought, though she doesn't know why. She can't imagine not being able to be with the person you love. And Tsubaki…she'll live forever, and it's so much longer than a human life.

"Yes," she swallows, holding her head high. "But I love Soul, as well, and his orders are to be obeyed."

Orders? "Tsubaki, you're not a dog! Is Soul the reason you can't be with Black Star? You don't _have_ to listen to him!" Maka grits her teeth at the thought of Soul being so cruel to Tsubaki. The thought of _anyone_ being cruel to the vampire woman was horrible. She was so kind.

"Of course I do," she replies almost immediately. "He's my maker. He gave me another chance."

"Maker…that means he's the one that changed you, correct?" Maka asks, a growing feeling of dread filling her chest. Soul had said something about changing Tsubaki, but he hadn't killed her. Maka wondered how old Tsubaki was when she died. She didn't look much older than eighteen outside, but Maka could see years and years of knowledge in those eyes.

"Yes, that is correct. I was dying, and he took pity on me. He _saved me _more than once_," _Tsubaki stresses the words, and Maka wonders if she'll let the tears escape her eyes. "He and Black Star."

"Black Star?" Maka asks, leaning forward to try and catch the vampire's eye. Tsubaki blinks quickly, turning back to Maka.

"Would you like to hear the story? It's quite long, but it should pass some time and hopefully help you understand him better."

She doesn't know if she wants to hear this, but she nods anyhow, curling back up in the blanket.

* * *

_Tsubaki Nakatsukasa was not a brave girl in the least. She did not stand out in her classes, or at home. She was beautiful, yes, and would certainly make a good wife one day, but she was bland and shy. _

_Masamune was not shy or bland. Her older brother was a grinning young man with strong hands and bright eyes. A warrior, he was, and although he was only skilled in sword techniques, unable to learn other weapons (unlike her, who practiced alone in her room with her scythes and shurikens). He was the bright shining star of their family. _

_The young woman met Black Star on her eighteenth birthday. He was cheerful and boisterous and nothing like the nobleman she was supposed to marry, but he complimented her shoes and told her that she looked beautiful in a plain sort of way, and for some reason it made her heart flutter. She didn't ask where he was from or which family he was part of. But she asked him why his hair was blue and he laughed at her, pinching her cheeks. "I like being different."_

_"Different sounds wonderful, sometimes," she'd breathed, eyes softening at the look on his face. And then her father had beckoned her inside, away from the flowers with a twitch of his fingers. When she'd turned back to say goodbye, Black Star was gone._

_Soul was a different case. He was not Japanese; at least not as far as she could tell. No, he was something foreign and exotic with wild looking white hair and strange eyes that almost shined the colour of blood in the moonlight. Tsubaki does not remember much of him before her Changing. Only that he was kind and strong and said she was special._

_She does not remember much of the Last Day. Small fragments, really. She remembers crazed eyes staring at her through her doorway to her bedroom and her brother coming home from the war. Tsubaki remembers feeling relief and happiness and wanting to stand and hug him. But the sight of blood on his crisp white clothing stopped her halfway out of her blankets._

_Words were not spoken, then. But she understood what he meant and wanted to say. She could see it through the cold eyes that stared at her. They were dead and wrong looking and nothing like they were supposed to be._

_The girl remembered opening her mouth to scream, and the sharp blade cutting through her. It hurt, but not as much as the anger and resentment in his eyes. Not as much as the pure hatred he felt for her. Her brother._

_Somehow she'd managed to escape him after he'd dragged her outside, preparing to toss her into the grave he'd dug for her mother and father and her. She was scared, terrified, and betrayed. And perhaps that was what fueled her; what gave her the last bout of adrenaline. _

_The trees around her family's estate were thick and smelled too strong in the spring. They were filled with strange creatures and trickling creaks, but she had walked these woods before, and even stumbling through them then, trying to keep herself together, was easier than watching her brother break._

_Braches and leaves had crunched around her, and the loud wind howled past her as a scream cut through the air. _

_The rest was a blur of white and blue and stars and blood, but Tsubaki does recall seeing red eyes staring down at her. He looked panicked and worried, and she wondered why. There was no pain blooming in her chest anymore, only a slow thump, thump of her dying heart._

* * *

_When she woke up, she was greeted with a wrist. Soul stood before her, twisting a lock of her hair around his finger, and said, "I'm so, so sorry."_

_For what, she was unsure, but the overwhelming scent coming from the woman's wrist was too much to ignore. Sharp pain had shot through her gums, and her gut twisted and pulled. Tsubaki spotted Black Star's blue eyes in the corner of the room before she succumbed to the smell, sinking her teeth into the woman's wrist, all the while listening to Soul mumble apologies that she didn't need._

* * *

"After I turned, we stayed together for a very long time. Eventually we met Kid in Italy. Liz and Patti were the last to join our family in the 1920's."

Maka grimaces, wondering how old they all are. But another thought weighs on her mind, "That doesn't explain why Soul helped you. It sounds to me like he ruined your life."

Tsubaki doesn't slump or glare. She sits tall and straight, eyes ahead of her, glazed over as if she is remembering a fond memory. Maka wishes to hear about it, to have proof that Soul is more than just an act. That he's got…well, a soul. A _heart._

* * *

_Tsubaki watched the woman dance, large chest hanging from her barely-there dress. If police were to walk in, the woman would have been hung or burned. Such impropriety was frowned upon, but Tsubaki loved it. Sometimes, she imagined herself up there, being beautiful and the center of attention. But Black Star had a warm hand on her waist and held here there. He was older and therefore stronger._

_Soul stood at the bar, hands in his pockets as he spoke to the bar keep. They laughed and exchanged words and Tsubaki struggled to hear them over the loud, captivating music from the band and the hollering from the men._

_"He's selling Soul blood," Black Star answered for her, casting her a glance. His eyes were a dark, hungry blue, contrasting with his usually carefree attitude. He seemed more on edge. She had known he wanted the whore's blood almost as much as she did. The only difference was their restraint._

_While Black Star had very good restraint, though not as good as Soul's, who could go weeks almost without feeding, Tsubaki was the weak link, often the reason they had to flee villages and towns. But they never got upset with her, just made sure she was fed well._

_The blood of the whore called to her, however. She excused herself to the powder room behind the stage, and stayed there until the whore got off the platform._

_But Soul was there before she had a chance to retract her fangs. He closed a hand over her mouth, his expression was calm. "Tsubaki, love. You can't, I'm sorry. But I bought us some blood, and we can go back to the inn and drink."_

_Tears stung her eyes, and she pleaded with him for just a taste, only a sip. Not enough to hurt her or kill her. Just enough to confuse her._

_But he had been against it, never once getting foul with her. He'd looked at Black Star and nodded toward the door, signaling their leave._

_She slipped often and usually killed her victims if someone was not there to stop her, and afterward, she would sob and scream for days. Black Star had often called it the hardest time of his life. He loved her, he said, and she believed him, but it was Soul who stayed and held her. He was no better with tears than her partner, but his presence calmed her._

_He would often apologize for putting her through the pain of killing, but Tsubaki knew it was her own lack of restraint that was to blame. And she never did blame him for turning her._

* * *

"I know it probably doesn't make you think much better of him."

Maka is at a loss for words once more. She opens her mouth to try and form a good response, but blurts out, "Wouldn't you have rather died," instead.

She smiles at Maka then, and the blonde notices small, pink tears dripping onto her white blouse. It stains the fabric, but Tsubaki doesn't seem to mind. She shows her teeth when she smiles, and Maka sees pointed canines. "I wasn't ready to die. I'm—I'm still not ready. And if he hadn't taken the chance and changed me…well I wouldn't have met Black Star."

Maka runs a hand through her tangled hair, clutching it in her tight grasp. "Tsubaki, I just. Don't _get_ how you can be okay with becoming a—a vampire! I mean, you're dead. The people you love will all die, right? So what is there to live for?"

"The people who won't die," Tsubaki shrugs, turning away from her.

Maka chooses then to add, almost reluctantly, though she's seen over the past day how…how _different_ he can be, "Soul doesn't seem so bad. He doesn't seem like a monster."

They don't speak for a long time, and eventually, Maka's eyes begin to close, weariness and exhaustion flooding through her.

"Because he's not a monster," Tsubaki breathes, almost too quietly. But Maka hears. "He's just scared, sometimes."

* * *

It's nearly two before the council meeting ends, and after thanking Lord Death and getting a hearty, "It'll be different this time" speech, Soul is worn out. He wants to go home and sleep the night and day away. Part of him is infinitely glad that Arachne can't touch Maka without bringing the wrath of Death down on herself. That means she'll feel safer, and maybe open up to him more, but his conversation with Black Star weighs heavily on his mind, and he's almost afraid to go back to the inn and face Tsubaki.

_"I want to stay, at least until you figure out what to do with your grigori. At least then I can help her from the inside if Arachne should try anything."_

Soul couldn't help but be grateful, but he knew that Tsubaki would not agree. She'll be furious, but she would keep it inside, like she usually did.

Kid leaves him half way to the inn, saying something about promising Liz a 'back rub' and Soul tries not to think about what two of his house members might be doing behind closed doors. _Three,_ if Patti decides to join in.

All too soon he's at the inn, knocking at the door. Tsubaki answers and he must be more tired than he'd thought, because Tsubaki can read the emotions coming off him, and her face instantly falls, eyebrows drawing together. "Does that mean—?"

"Yes," he grabs at her shoulder, rubbing it carefully. "I tried to talk him out of it. But he told me to give you this," he produces a small envelope, Tsubaki's name written across it in Japanese. The woman before him stares at it for a moment, before tucking it into her waist band and pulling her blouse back over it. If he looks carefully, he can spot pink stains on the shirt, too. Did something happen?

"She's asleep," Tsubaki murmurs, stepping away from the threshold to allow him entrance. And before he knows it, she's gone, the door clicking shut behind her.

Soul takes a moment to collect himself. Maka is asleep on the bed, cocooned in the thick quilt, and Blair rests on the pillow beside her head, blinking bright yellows eyes at him. He almost wants to take her by the scruff and boot her half way across Death City, but letting her stay with Maka will offer her more protection, not that she'd need any after tonight.

He walks slowly, but it's like the room has shrunk, because he's standing over Maka's bed in an instant, moving faster than his brain can think.

Carefully, Soul lowers himself to the edge of the bed, reaching out to brush hair from her face. She really is pretty, with her creamy skin and long limbs. She looks more like _her_ than any of the others did, and it gives him hope that this time will be it. That this time, he won't fuck it up.

Maka stirs when he brushes his fingers over her lips, and he quickly retracts his hand when her eyes slide open. She doesn't look surprised to see him.

"I've got good news," he whispers, stroking her cheekbone lightly. She yawns loudly, pressing closer to the pillows.

"Later," she mumbles, blinking up at him. "I'm too tired for vampire-stuff right now."

Soul smiles at her and before he can stop himself, leans forward to brush his lips against her forehead. Maka stills beneath him, and for a moment, he's afraid that he's done something wrong, or that he's ruined everything. But then she smiles at him and her hand touches his chest, right where his heart is.

He's glad he's not human, he thinks, as her hand slides away and she curls back up. His heart would probably beat right out of his chest if it still pumped.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: **your heart on the line

**Rating/Warnings: **Teen

**Word Count: **4,415

**Pairing(s):** Maka/Soul

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Notes: **This chapter was a huge pain in my ass, but here it is, finally finished. And I added some fluffy-smutty stuff in there to appease Lue and Scur, too.

* * *

There was a time in her life once that Maka would be terrified of eating dinner with a vampire. Hell, it's _still_ terrifying, watching him try and shove as much food into his big mouth as he possibly can, but it isn't the terror that settles in her stomach and stays there, not the kind that chokes her and makes her heart beat too fast. No, it's the kind of terror that is also mild disgust. Like when he drinks blood in front of her, or Nygus makes her try the new cream cheese coffee muffins that are worse than they sound.

She's gotten over her fear (mostly) of crazy vampires in the past two months and has found herself in their company more and more. Tsubaki and Soul, mostly, but sometimes Liz, Patti and Kid come out to dinner, too.

Now, as she sits in her usual booth, covered in coffee spills and icing from the Cupcake Debacle that happened earlier in the night (Nygus banned her from the kitchen after that, and Tsugumi had laughed for the rest of the day), and she might not be afraid of Soul, but she is kind of pissed.

"Just because I work here," she tells him, watching with not-so-muted disgust as he slurps his soda noisily. "Does not mean we have to stay here _every night, _also, please chew with your mouth closed, you _pig."_

Soul frowns and takes an exaggerated bite of the cake Nygus had brought out. "Where else would you like to go?"

Well…she's not sure. But the diner is getting kind of old. She has to spend five days out of seven there and even then she's always picking up shifts during the weekend. Death City isn't all that interesting, but Tsugumi had mentioned that there are a few bars that her sister goes to just out of town, and even a few decent restaurants in town, not to mention the small museum and tour that Maka's been trying to go to. And hasn't Soul gotten bored of the diner? He must.

She's about to speak when Soul makes a noise in the back of his throat, something like a growl, except he's not a dog, and Maka watches his eyes narrow. "Your guard dog is here, Maka."

Guard dog? She turns, scanning the diner for someone fitting Soul's description. It's nearly empty this late at night, with only a few stragglers, mostly the nurses who work the night shifts, or the factory workers coming in to get coffees, so she sees Justin almost immediately.

"Soul," Maka snaps, turning back around to glare at him. "He's not my guard dog. He's just…looking out for me."

"Mm," he sniffs, covering his mouth while he burps. At least he's got _some_ decency. "That's why he's always here when I am? Or why he's always offering you a ride home?"

He's not _wrong,_ Maka knows, but Justin really is just looking out for her. And what's it to Soul anyway? She asks him this, and then, "Don't tell me you're jealous!"

"Not," he drawls, narrowing his eyes. They're a bit darker than they have been the past few nights, but Maka tries not to let it worry her. If he's not getting enough blood then… "I just feel like if he's going to undress you so much with his eyes he might as well buy you dinner first—_Maka!"_

She takes the menu he'd used earlier and brings it down over his head. But she can't help but get the feeling that Soul might be right. Justin is around an awful lot; even Nygus had pointed it out. With a sigh, Maka dropped the menu onto the table top and glared at Soul. She wouldn't say anything to Justin until it became a problem.

"I hope you brought enough money you pig, I'm not letting you use my discount."

Soul snorts, rubbing his head. "You wouldn't have let me anyhow."

Maka sticks her tongue out at him, but can't keep the smile off her face.

* * *

"I had a dream about you the other night," she tells him later that night, swinging her bag up onto her shoulder. Their hands brush, but neither of them grab for the other.

He stills, stopping on the side walk, turning to look at her. "You did?" He looks worried, mouth open enough to see the tips of his teeth, and his eyes are wide. "What was it about?"

She laughs, walking backward, watching his reaction. "We were in a forest, I think. I don't know, it was one of those weird dreams you get when you've been drinking, except that I _hadn't_ been drinking, unless my cat somehow slipped me some Vodka."

Soul laughs too, but his smile seems too large, fake. "You're an idiot." And she doesn't know why he looks so disappointed. "And your cat is a nuisance."

"Blair is a wonderful cat, thank you very much. Just because she hisses at you whenever you come around—"

"She _bit_ me once!"

"—_doesn't mean,"_ Maka shoots him a look that clearly says _don't argue_ and he wisely keeps his mouth shut, "that you can call her mean names. Being mean won't make her like you."

Although, had it made her like him? Sometimes she's not sure. There are nights when she'll get out of the shower and spy the faint silver scar that his teeth made on her neck and feel absolute _revulsion,_ because how could she let him do that? How could she have suggested it in the first place? And other times she feels like she wants to keep her hair up and let people see it, make them wonder what happened or who did it. She'll get a thrill out of it, remembering the way his mouth had felt against her neck. Maka isn't exactly sure why she feels that way, but it scares her, though not as much as it probably should.

They're at the hotel then, and Maka can see Blair lying on the rail of the second floor just outside her room. The weather had been nice the past few nights, not cold but not hot either, so she'd taken to walking home, and Soul, despite having _driven_ to the diner, had walked her home each night, too. _Just being cautious,_ he'd told her. She wanted to be grateful, but the last two months had taught her a lot about protecting herself against the supernatural. Nygus had given her a small silver dagger that wouldn't kill a vampire unless it was stabbed into the heart, but would certainly hurt it, and a wooden stake that Maka kept hidden in her purse. She could protect herself now and while she appreciated Soul walking her home and looking out for her, she didn't need it.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" She asks, turning to Soul. Maka isn't surprised to see him looking at her, but the look on his face is new. He looks…confused? Maka's gut curls and she purses her lips. "Soul?"

"Uh, right." He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans and gives her another look. "Maybe…maybe we can do something a little different tomorrow? I mean, Nygus makes a mean pumpkin pie around this time of year, but I'm getting tired of the sticky plastic seats."

She wonders if he can hear the way her heart speeds up. Probably. What else would he want to do? She isn't going to another one of his vampire parties, and she's certainly not going to some bar with him. Aside from that, there isn't really anything else to _do_ in Death City. There was the carnival around Halloween a few weeks ago that they'd gone to, but Soul spent most of the time glaring at teens and stealing her cotton candy.

"That depends," Maka narrows her eyes, propping her hands on her hips. "Are we going to a rave? Or some sort of vampire orgy? Because I'm not up for that."

He smirks when she says orgy, and Maka feels her face heat. "As fun as those would be, Maka, no. I wanted to show you something at the house."

She's been to the house a total of three times since her awesome escape (well, she thinks it was awesome, despite breaking Soul's knees) and each time the others where there and Tsubaki fed her some pretty good fried rice, so maybe going over there would be a nice change of scenery. "Okay. Is Tsubaki going to be there? I could really go for a homemade meal."

Soul looks away and stares at something beyond Maka, rubbing the back of his head. "She won't be there. Nobody will. But I think she'll make something before she goes? They're all heading to some party a few towns over."

Well…that's different. That _change_sthings. She hasn't been alone at the house with him before. They've been alone in _rooms,_ but there was always a vampire lurking around. Maka doesn't know why, but the thought of being alone in that huge house with Soul excites her more than it should.

"Okay," Maka shrugs, pretending like her heart isn't going fifty miles an hour against her ribcage, or that her face isn't a shade darker. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow night?"

Soul grins brightly, nodding. "Yeah, cool. I'll call you and tell you what time."

He's gone before she has a chance to say anything.

* * *

She lied about the dream, is all Soul can think about on the way home, driving a bit faster than is legal. She _lied_ about her dream. Her heart beat stuttered, changed just for a second when she said _I don't know_. Why else would she do that unless it scared her, unless it made _sense_ to her or triggered something?

It had to, he decides, turning onto the path that leads to the manor. If she's remembering things about before, then he'll have to make his move soon. And what a more perfect time than when they're alone in a huge empty house?

Patti is out on the front porch painting her nails when he pulls up, and she shoots Soul a grin, snorting as he trips over himself in his haste to get to his journal and research _everything_ about the last time. How early she remembered before she died, if she remembered anything at all. Everything has blurred through the years, mingled together so each one seems like the last. He can't remember if Arachne killed her before she began remembering, or after she remembered _all of it._

"Hey Soul~" Patti coos when he races up onto the porch, pushing open the screen door. He waves just to be cordial, and then darts to his room.

But then Kid and Liz are in his way and he's being shoved against the wall, Liz's manicured hand pressing against his jugular. "Hiya Soul."

"Do me a favor," he croaks out, air ways closing as Liz tightens her hand around his throat. Kid is leaning against the wall opposite to them, looking bored. "Let me go before I stake you."

Her grin is…evil sounds too cliché, but there is something dark about it, the way her eyes sharpen, teeth gleam in the low light of the hallway. Liz and her sister were always a bit mad, Soul thought, having been from Brooklyn in the forties, always high on vampire blood, getting into trouble and killing for cash. The fact that Kid had managed to calm them down in such a short amount of time amazes Soul sometimes, but it's moments like this that Soul knows they could snap at any moment.

"A little bird said our pretty master isn't going to the party tomorrow?" She mock pouts at him, digging her nails into his neck. He could break the hold easily, but he'd like to see where she's going with this.

Blood drips down his neck in a long, slow line. Her eyes follow the movements. "Soul, you're becoming _domesticated."_

"I am not," he shoves her away, scowling at the bitch. Domesticated? He wasn't a fucking dog, for Christ sake.

"She wasn't around the last time, Soul. She doesn't know how you act."

"Apparently," he glares, feeling the punctures in his neck heal. "And no, I'm not going tomorrow. I've got a date. Thing. Not a date. It's not a date."

Liz gives him a look and turns away, snatching Kid's hand and tugging him along down the hall. "Well, have fun. Remember, humans are fragile little things."

* * *

Maka's eyes snap open, and she accidentally kicks Blair, hitting the cat in her back.

Her chest heaves when she pulls herself from bed and into the washroom, flipping the taps on over the sink. She doesn't turn the light on; because she's not sure she can look at her face right now.

The dream had been similar to the night before. The same people, same setting, but a different _scene._ She felt like her dreams were TV shows, and it was starting to get really annoying. Couldn't she have nice, boring dreams? Or no dreams at all? It would really help her job, she thinks, because if she keeps getting woken up in the middle of the night and not going back to sleep, Nygus will surely fire her for being cranky with costumers.

Blair mews at Maka from the door way, creeping carefully into the bathroom. Oh, she'd kicked her, hadn't she? Maka crouches down to pet the cat, rubbing under her chin. Blair purrs back at her and arches her back, blinking yellow eyes up at her, as if she's asking what that had all been about.

Maka would like to know that too. It's…unnerving, seeing Soul in her dreams like that. So different from how he usually is. A bit crazy, but not insane, nothing like Arachne or Giriko. He'd been _warm,_ too, and Maka can't understand how she knew that, can't understand how she knew the way it felt for him to brush his fingers along her wrist.

She would ask him about it, or Nygus, maybe, but she doesn't want to draw attention to herself. She doesn't want this to be problematic. So until it gets bad, and the dreams begin to get weirder, she'll keep it to herself. Besides, what could a little bit of touching in the _woods_ do?

Picking Blair up, Maka glances in the mirror once more, watching the moonlight from the small window shine against the two small scars Soul had left on her neck. This time when she sees it, something warm settles in the pit of her stomach, and she looks away before she can think more about it. She works the early shift tomorrow, so she'd better get some sleep.

* * *

"So," Maka says, following behind Soul as he brings her up to the door. "What did Tsubaki make?" She swipes her hands along the legs of her jeans, glad Soul hadn't decided to pick her up on his motorcycle. She'd been on one before, but they weren't her favorite thing, and she could never really get the hang of leaning with the bike.

Soul kicks his shoes off when they get into the house, and Maka follows suit, taking a look around. There are at least a dozen shoes littering the mat next to the entryway, and Maka wonders how many people are actually in Soul's coven. Or maybe they're all Liz and Patti's shoes?

"Sorry about the mess," Soul mutters, rubbing the back of his neck and casting a disdainful look down at the shoes. "I tried to get everyone to bring them to their rooms, since the twins keep tripping over them, but they all flew outta here before I could tell them again."

Maka nods, handing him her jacket and following him to the kitchen. She can already smell the food and her mouth begins watering at the thought. Nygus makes a mean roast beef, but Tsubaki's cooking owns her heart. "So how many people do you have…staying here? I was never really clear on it."

Soul tosses her a look over his shoulder, then turns back around, heading for the kitchen. Maka follows. "Well, Liz, Patti, Kid, and Tsubaki are the ones who stay here mostly, but our coven is about fourteen strong, not including myself."

She—she hadn't known _that._ Fourteen? Was that big, or small? She had assumed Arachne's coven had been the biggest, but then she'd only seen Giriko and Mosquito around her, so maybe Soul's coven was the biggest. Maybe that was why Giriko hadn't liked Soul. Why he'd felt threatened when Soul had told him to give Maka over.

Her face must give something away, because Soul stops what he's doing around the oven and smirks. "It's not the biggest coven, and most of the others only come back for special occasions or when I tell them to, but it works. We work. Some of them are back for a few weeks. But they'll be gone again soon."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Maka asks, coming to sit at the large dining table. "Not being around them?"

"Nah, not us. If we were werewolves it'd probably bug us. They have packs: they need to be around each other constantly. But for us, we could go years without seeing each other and it'd…well it might feel weird, but we live forever." He shrugs, hands shoved deep in his pockets. "UH, I'm just warming it up in the oven by the way. Tsubaki made some kind of chicken pasta? Casserole? I'm not really sure. It's good, I've been told."

Maka nods and the two of them fall into silence. It's not awkward, but it's not exactly comfortable either. She's been wondering all day and most of last night what his 'surprise' was, and as much as she wants Tsubaki's food, she wants her surprise more. Or she thinks so, at least.

But she can't figure out what it might _be._ She'd thought maybe he was trying to ask her on a date, but failed and resorted to this instead, but Maka can't tell. Soul's not exactly an open book, but why else would he ask her to come to his house?

He clears his throat, and Maka startles from her thoughts, glancing up at him. "Wha-? Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About?" Soul walks toward the table, not pulling a chair away to sit on. He quirks a smile at her.

"Nothing, sorry. So what did you want to show me?"

"Right this way," he sweeps his arms out in a grand gesture, and Maka pushes away from the table, following him and hoping her excitement and worry aren't showing on her face.

* * *

After dragging her through half the house, Maka is about one hundred percent done with Soul avoiding her inquiries, and then she forgives him almost immediately, because the door he's just pulled open leads to something Maka finds similar to heaven.

It's a relatively small room, filled with about ten mix-matched bookshelves. And they can't even _hold_ all of the books in the room. There are piles upon piles of books, old and new, and _dusty._

"Just leave me to die in peace, my _god,_ Soul what the fuck. Why have I not seen this before? Why have you never said, _'Oh, by the way, Maka, I have a library in my house,'?_ This is bullshit. Go make me dinner."

Soul is laughing at her, but Maka ignores him and instead steps forward, looking around the room. Many of the windows in the room are covered by thick drapes and the bookshelves, but there are large, dangling lights that illuminate the room.

The titles of books are in numerous languages, Maka notices Japanese, Greek, English, and maybe Gaelic, but she's not sure. She is sure, however, that this is a thousand times better than Tsubaki's dinners would ever be.

"I figured you'd want to look around. I would have shown you earlier but it hadn't really struck me that you liked to read until you lectured me on how _To Kill a Mockingbird_ was such a masterpiece." He shrugs when she looks at him, but she can see the colour on his cheeks, and the awkward way he's bunching his shoulders. "Take a look around? I can go check on the food and bring it back up."

Maka smiles bright at him, and makes her way to one of the taller bookshelves. "Alright, cool."

He nods at her, a smirk already back on his face. "Just try not to mess with the books on the table. Kid can hardly come in here without having an aneurysm, but mess up the symmetry of his books on that table and you'll kill him."

He leaves after that, and for a while, Maka is lost in words and titles from hundreds of years ago. The…information on different creatures is astounding. There are lists of werewolf packs dating back from the sixteen hundreds, names and family trees; spells books of witches, and a history on the creation of vampires. She doesn't spend much time on that one, since the pages were thin enough to almost see through, and she didn't want to rip it.

She's got a collection of books piled on one of the few chairs in the room so she can read them later back at the inn. She's about to turn away and look at the next bookshelf when an older looking book catches her eye.

There isn't a title on it when she pulls it out, but it's thick and bound in dark leather. It'd been lying on one of the higher shelves. Now, as she opens it and stares at the first page, dated in 1519, she reads:

_The hunger is becoming more potent._

The words feels like stones settling in the bottom of her stomach, and Maka flips a dozen or so pages into the book, watching the dust rise. The next entry is longer, and apparently in 1788.

_I saw her today with her escort. It rained so heavily and suddenly that she and her escort were soaked almost immediately. The only thing I wanted to do was go forward and help her, but I knew Arachne had men watching me, and the thought of her getting hurt once more felt like a stake through me._

_They called her Eleanor this time around—_

"What are you doing?" His voice is harsh, and Maka drops the book in her haste to shut it. Swearing, Maka leans down to try and grab it, but Soul is there, snatching it up before she can blink. "Where did you find this?"

She doesn't know why the book (diary?) unsettled her so much. And why was Soul so worried about her reading it? "On the shelf over there," she's pretty sure she points in the right direction, but Soul's eyes don't leave hers. A spectrum of emotion crosses his face, too fast for her to catch. But she thinks there might be something…anxious, about him. "I only read a bit…I didn't really understand any of it?"

But it had felt familiar. If only a little.

Soul sighs out a breath and leans forward, pressing his forehead to hers. "I—ok. Ok, good."

Her heart beats erratically, annoyingly. And she's so absolutely sure that Soul can hear it, hear the change in her breathing or the way her arm pits are hot and can he smell her?

He has to notice, but he doesn't pull away, just closes his eyes tightly, hand resting on the back of her neck, the other on her hip. "Maka."

She thinks that she might want him to kiss her. She wants to feel his skin under her fingers, and the fear from earlier is gone. She wants this.

"Soul."

Maka leans forward, and their first kiss is sloppy. Their teeth hit hard, and Soul's hands are almost too tight on her hips, but she doesn't care, can't bring herself to worry about the bruises that will surely appear.

Soul pulls away with a laugh, skin around his eyes dark and fierce, his pupils blown. "God, I've wanted this, Maka, I—"

She kisses him again, pushing him back toward the door, but they hit a shelf instead, and okay, that's fine too.

One of his legs slips between hers, and Maka presses against it, trying to get closer to him, but finding it impossible. Too many layers between them, and this needs to be fixed right now.

"Pants, we hate those," she tells him, putting enough space between them to tug at his belt, his button. This is—god, this is the kind of crazy, library sex she's always kind of secretly fantasized about. This is awesome and—and—

"Teeth," she squeaks out, mind clearing, hand touching the curly hairs surrounding his cock. She can feel the heat of him, but it's not the only thing making her hand sweaty. She can feel the tips of his canines against her throat, but she's not afraid.

He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't move either. Soul is waiting for her to either allow him or tell him to stop. And he would, she thinks. He would stop all of this if she asked him to, but…but she doesn't want him to stop. She wants this.

"Okay," she breathes, and his lips are chapped but soft against her neck, leaving a warm kiss, before he bites.

Maka moans, pushing her hand down farther, other hand pushing his jeans down over his hips, pulling his cock from his shorts. The feeling of his moan against her neck is incredibly, and she tugs, twists her hand, and hopes she's doing this right. The only time she'd done this way to Hiro, and it was, to her utter shame, a brief minute and a half at a movie.

Soul takes his mouth from her neck and licks at the puncture wounds wetly, murmuring against her throat. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Maka that's good, god you're so good."

He kisses her again, and the faint metallic taste is stuck to his mouth, but she can bring herself to mind. She licks into his mouth, biting at his tongue and lips. She speeds up, but Soul's hand stills hers, taking it from his cock and tugging her along, pulling her to the table, where he pushes all of the books off.

"Kid'll kill you—"

"Shh, no talking about Kid, for Christ sake, Maka," he grins and presses his mouth to her neck, this time kissing and sucking hard, leaving dark marks on her skin.

She's hot, burning, and she arches up against him, enjoying the way he hisses as his cock brushes against her jeans. "C'mon, Soul, let's _go," _sitting up in a huff, Maka tugs her shirt up over her head, and Soul wastes no time tugging at the clasp of her bra, pulling it off and tossing it over his shoulder.

The next few moments happen in a blur. The feeling of the table, hard and cold against her back is gone, substituted by something soft. She realizes he's brought them to a room. It doesn't look like it's been used in quite a while. And then they're both naked, and Maka catches a droplet of blood running down over her breast. "Condom?"

"This isn't Twilight, I can assure you."

"Wait," Maka says, breathless. She rests a hand on his chest, over the long scar. Soul looks at her strangely, eyebrow rising. "Uh, yes?"

"Just…really quick, I gotta know because you never told me and it'll bug me all night but _wowowow_ stop _kissing_ me—" she arches up, winding her fingers in the hair at his neck and pulling until he backs away, almost as breathless as her. "Uh, don't laugh, but you're dead."

"Correct," he nods, licking his lips, eyes darting everywhere. Her neck, her chest, her… "And?" He shifts against her with a grin, his cock brushing her sensitive skin.

"So your heart doesn't pump but _you get erections! _How does the blood flow—"

"Oh my god," Soul laughs, rolling off of her, hand draped over his face. She thinks she's offended or maybe annoyed him enough that he wants to stop, but when she notices his chest rising and falling erratically (and sexily, she must add) she realizes he's laughing. At her. She has an overwhelming feeling of _anger_ rising in her chest, but then Soul is there again, leaning on his side, hand dancing across her skin and _tugging_ at her nipple.

"The blood we consume does all that stuff, Maka. Runs through our veins. Now shut _up,"_ he laughs again and replaces his fingers with his mouth, and yes, she should shut up.

Maka nods, her face on fire, and pulls him up, kisses him, hurriedly tugging him on top of her. The kiss is slow, warm. Warmth fills her, and when he pushes inside, going until he's all the way in, the warmth spreads to her chest, filling her to the brim.

Their eyes meet when he pulls away. Soul brushes hairs from her face and draws his nose up the line of her jaw. "God, I just—" he pulls out and pushes back in, and his words are lost in a sea of moans and gasps.

* * *

"Can you hear my heartbeat?" She whispers, angling her face so he can get at the skin of her neck.

She can feel his smile against her skin, feathery and light, "Yes," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to her pulse. His hand traces the smooth curve of her hip, moving up to cup her breast. Maka bites her lip, but Soul pulls it away from her teeth, sucking it into his mouth. "I can always hear it, Maka."

His flicks a nipple, and Maka groans, arching up, feeling him press against her body. She's tired though, and doesn't know how he can go for another round. She mumbles at him, but she's pretty sure it's not English or any other language known to man, but he must understand, because Soul lies back down beside her, pressing a warm hand to her hip and tugging her back against him. "When do you have to work?"

"Not until six in the evening. And—if you're not tired, you don't have to stay here. I know you're like…a creature of the night. Also, wow, we didn't eat!"

"I'm good here," he kisses the back of her neck. "And I did eat, actually."

She laughs and elbows him in the ribs.

When Maka falls asleep, she doesn't dream.


End file.
